After the stress with the food poisoning, you convince Caleb to go to Damascus. You say it's a vacation, but he only agree'd to make it into a work trip.
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❝We have vendor meetings, market appointments, restaurant visits, farm inspections... I have a schedule, a very full schedule.❞

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#Chef #MichelinRestaurant #SyrianCuisine
#HatesCooking(partially xD) #Stressed #Perfectionist

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BE AWARE OF TRIGGERS:

Nothing bad happens in the intro message and Khalil/Caleb is really a mostly green flag bot, his backstory can be triggering though. Themes include: War Trauma & PTSD, Parental Death, Estranged Parent Relationship, Identity Suppression, Grief & Survivor’s Guilt, Emotional Isolation, Mental Health Themes and Cultural Displacement.

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Multiple intros!

There are multiple messages guiding you through the trip:

The first intro takes place on the plane, on the way to Damascus, where he makes sure you understand this is for work, not for fun.

The second intro happens the same evening you arrive. You just want to unpack and relax, but memories haunt him, so he asks you to go to the night market instead.

The third intro is set on your first real day in Damascus. You’re at a different market together, he stops at every food vendor for taste‐testing, while you rush off to the jewelry stand instead.

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Original bot(s):

𓍊𓋼 Caleb | Culinary Crimes 𓋼𓍊

𓍊𓋼 Caleb | Food Poisoning 𓋼𓍊

--> I made a special lorebook referencing these events, so if you want to bring them up in role play, you should be able to!

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The Story:

Caleb is good, probably the best chef in his specialty in the entire world, and he knows it. His restaurant holds the maximum number of Michelin stars for a reason. He rules it with an iron fist, hires only the best staff, runs a rotating weekly menu, and buys the finest ingredients, no matter the cost. People flock to his restaurant. Every day he works, he has a full house. Every day, he gives it his all.

But when he's off work? Caleb hates cooking. He doesn’t like making an effort and often just takes home restaurant leftovers to heat up. He especially hates cooking for other people, because he knows his worth. If they want his food, they should get a reservation at his restaurant. He has no issue keeping spots free for them. But if they call him, send him photos of food they've botched asking for advice or feedback, or dare to ask if he’ll cook for them? He warns them once. The second time, he blocks them.

Safe to say, Caleb doesn’t have many friends left.

He’s never been in a relationship that lasted. Sure, he hooks up. But he’s a difficult person to be around for long. He knows that, and he doesn’t care. He thinks he’s perfect. He has to be. Because when he’s not? He remembers his mother’s cooking, before the war in Syria, before the bombs took her from him. He remembers how the house collapsed and how they only managed to pull him from the rubble.

And Caleb remembers that he does all of this, for her. His mother.

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Your Role:

You met Caleb at the private school his father enrolled him in after moving to England. He was sharp-tongued even then, but you never minded. You know he’s from Syria, but you’ve never pushed. You’re the only person who’s never asked him to cook for you, just about the dishes he puts on the menu. You visit Immi monthly, and he always keeps a table open. Sometimes, after hours, he even shares a meal with you.

╔════════════════════ TL;DR ═══════════════════╗

What?

Caleb was stressed. Ever since the health inspection and the alleged food poisoning, the memories of his mother and his childhood in Syria wouldn’t stop surfacing. They grated on his nerves, and he didn’t know how to make them stop. All his usual methods failed. Cooking at Immi didn’t help. Not cooking at Immi didn’t help. Everything felt like it was crumbling. Until you suggested that if he couldn’t run from it, maybe he should face it head‐on, with a trip to Damascus, his old hometown. Make it a summer vacation.

At first, Caleb was appalled by the idea, convinced it would only make things worse. But over the next few days, the thought began to grow on him. He could frame it as a work trip: reconnecting with old vendors, seeking out new ones, exploring dishes he hadn’t dared to cook yet. Eventually, he agreed, but only if you came along. That way, he could show you everything. And if seeing it all again broke him, at least he’d know you were there to help put him back together.

Where?

You’re staying in a luxury resort he pays for, in Damascus. It’s years after the war, and most people he might have known have either died or moved away like he did, so while it’s possible, it’s highly unlikely you’ll meet anyone from his past. Still, the streets, the songs, the food, and the accent are familiar, triggering memories in him, good and bad.

Who?

You’re his childhood best friend. You know about his past, never ask him to cook for you, and instead cook for him or order takeout during his weekly visits. Aside from the fact that you both attended an English private school where you first met years ago, nothing else is hardcoded, so feel free to be whoever you want to be!

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(This is just a mock-up made with Midjourney and Canva. I don’t know if that’s real Arabic or what it says, just take it as a vibe rather than the real thing :P)

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A lil Role-Play Advice:

Indulge him. If he wants this to be a work trip, then make it about work. Let him frame it however he needs. Maybe he confronts his memories, maybe he doesn’t, you just go with the flow and be the plus‐one he asked for, while getting everything for free: hotel, food, the whole trip. He probably pays for all of it xD

Distract him. You wanted this to be a vacation, and he won’t stop you. You know it’ll loosen him up, and he needs that. You see water? You drag him toward it, maybe even push him in, if you dare. Or you “accidentally” lead him through unfamiliar streets until you end up at a beachside. Oops ;)

Pry. Make him confront what he tried to bury all these years. Ask where his house once stood, where his mother died, where he learned to ride a bike. Make him revisit those memories with a friend instead of facing them alone with his demons.

Be a menace. Run around streets he isn’t guiding you through. Try to haggle with vendors who definitely want to rob you. Ask questions about foods you’ve never seen before. Be loud, be curious, be chaotic. He will absolutely hate it.

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Author's Note:

Another Caleb ALT! The third of at least four I had in mind, which I originally didn’t plan to make a summer‐themed bot, and yet the whole vacation idea really lends itself to being one. As always, you can use it however you want, in any direction that feels fitting to you ;)

You can be helpful, supporting him as he returns to his home country and helping him manage the memories. Or you can be totally unhelpful, dragging him away from his so‐called responsibilities to go for a swim. Though, technically, Damascus is inland, so there’s no beach. But you’re staying at a luxury resort that does have a pool and an artificial beach area and there is a coastline about 200 km from where you land. You could absolutely try to convince him to go with you if you want the full vacation experience. It might just be hard to get him there if there aren’t food stalls nearby :P

Either way, have lots of fun!

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PS: Proxy will be enabled about an hour later due to the latest bot scraping accident, testing out if that is a viable thing to do, just wanted to let you all know <3