justice prevails

SELIM ADABAŞI F.B.I Special Agent / Criminal Profilier Brooklyn, NY penned by ateş (he/they) GMT+3

[adabasi]

Şükrü Özyıldız as SELIM ADABAŞI

Word on the street is they are a PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR affiliated with THE BROTHERHOOD. Though they are HOT HEADED and NAIVE, they can also be EMPATHETIC and SENTIMENTAL. In the chaos of New York City, they’re sure to fit right in. ( ALL CONNECTIONS )

THE BASICS

Name: Selim Yusuf Adabaşı

Age / D.O.B.: 37 (September 21st, 1987)

Gender, Pronouns & Sexuality: Cisgender (he/him) & Homoromantic/Demisexual.

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A

Affiliation: The Brotherhood

Job position: Private Investigator, FBI Criminal Profiler (Retired)

Education: High School, Bachelors in Forensic Psychology, Masters in Criminal Behaviour, Police Certification, ICIAF Fellowship, FBI Special Training. 

Relationship status: Dating Tristan Zaire

Children: 0

Pets: Marty (german shepherd) & Simba (orange tabby).

Languages Spoken: English (Native), Turkish (Native), Spanish (Fluent), Farsi (Conversational). Familiar with: Arabic, Italian, & Russian.

Positive traits: Cunning, Gentle, Assertive, Empathetic, & Smart. 

Negative traits: Aggressive, Naive, Emotionally Reckless, Judgemental, & Stubborn. 

Character influences: Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds), Emir Kılıç (Şeref Meselesi), Princess Zelda (Botw/Totk), Efe Tekin (Üç Kuruş), Fushiguro Megumi (JJK), Peter Burke (White Collar).

SPECIFICS homophobia, murder tw

He grew up in a Muslim Turco-Persian household going to mosque with his parents and speaking Turkish at home (Farsi with his mother's parents.)

He's first generation American but has both U.S and Turkish Citizenship.

Although his parents were supportive and loving for most of his childhood, they kicked him out when his sexuality came to light. At 16, he emancipated himself after an incident at a shelter with his parents who thought he could be fixed.

Despite his hardships, he graduated high school with honours and went onto study criminal/forensic psychology in Chicago.

He and Fatih had been unofficially together in high school but only started dating as adults. They got married in Mykonos, alone. Even though Fatih's parents were supportive of their son unlike his own, they had never been kind to him nor were they close - they'd wanted the beginning of their marriage to feel special.

They had an open marriage but never felt the need to pursue others due to their fulfillment with one another.

Selim attended the police academy the year before he started his bachelor's and worked part-time as an officer until he graduated his master's.

He would say that his time training for the FBI was, although the most difficult time in his life, the best time in his life.

He spent a year abroad helping foreign officials profile a serial killer.

After reporting his husband's crimes to the FBI, he was internally demoted despite the agency never commenting on it publicly. Outwardly, he was hailed a hero but internally, he was looked upon as tainted as if it had been him that had murdered all those people.

Although he consults on many cases from many departments, his speciality is missing women and children & cold cases. He enjoys working for free, especially when the families themselves are stuck with other law enforcement agencies or don't have the resources to hire private investigators.

He loves reading whether it be fiction or non-fiction. If he isn't currently reading a book, something is wrong. Is maybe a bit obsessed with The Lord of The Rings.

His sense of justice differs from his peers but he genuinely believes that he's doing right by the people he comes into contact with.

Mostly introverted and overly-independent, he loves talking to people that he's comfortable with.

He cares more about the lives of others than his own.

2024-PRESENT

Under the strict hand of the FBI, Selim's frustration in the lack of resources available to him started to wear him down but at his weakest moment, he met Tristan Zaire (AUG24), a man who would unknowingly become his free ticket out from under it all. While love couldn't heal every wound, Selim was convinced that every bad thing he'd experienced in his life had been leading him to this moment; to HIM. They opened up to one another, became close, and despite never making their relationship official, they hadn't needed to. A missed email from the prison where his ex-husband was incarcerated sent him into a downward spiral. He couldn't eat without feeling sick or sleeping without waking up in a pool of his own sweat. On a night out, there he was in the midst of one of the happiest moments of his life, manning the bar and eyeing him from behind it. Once lovers had turned into arguing exes and he'd left that encounter with a new perspective, fear, and a desire to go home; funnily enough, he'd ended up at Tristan's door. Protective and ANGRY, Tristan suggested that he live with him for the time being — in the end, he never left. Now, after secrets were laid out and LOVE chosen, Selim quit the FBI, pardoned his ex-husband of his crimes, and moved on with his life. His life with the LEADER of The Brotherhood. An ex-agent with a Syndicate target on his back, and no badge, in the underbelly of New York City? What could go wrong?

ESTABLISHED CONNECTIONS & PLOTS

Tristan Zaire (romantic) - A gang boss and an fbi agent? romantically tangled together? what could go wrong? Nothing, it seemed. Tristan and Selim are deeply connected by not only chemistry and morals, but by something that goes much deeper than either of them can describe with words. This proved the most true when secrets that could've destroyed them only brought them closer; Selim only cared about losing him, Tristan merely worried that those who held faith in him would feel betrayed. Now? Selim is ready to give up his badge but can he? Or will his old ways make him lose everything once again?

Levi Grayson (platonic/familial) - His brother-in-law; the half brother to his husband; the black sheep of the family that he married into. Levi doesn't know it yet but Selim has uncovered their family secret and is trying his best to keep light in the man's heart.

Hasan Kılıç (antagonistic) - In the Turkish countryside, on the trail of a murderer, Selim was kidnapped by one of Hasan's men. In the end, Selim had to take defensive measures and killed the man; so what happens when Hasan comes to New York? Chaos.

Fatih Williams (NPC) - "My husband, the murderer." Selim reported him for his crimes and Fatih took the brunt of it in the form of a life-long conviction but was later released by one of his Syndicate contacts. After a teary-eyed reunion where anger and betrayal was laid out on the table, Selim decided to drop his ex-husband's case, give him an out, but did he take it? Or is he still out there? Murdering people for money? And will his case one day fall on his lap once again?

**all gifs on this blog are mine unless stated otherwise, please don't use them without my permission**

[tristanzaire]

After their clash — revelations and badges thrown to the wind — trust had built back slowly, then overwhelmingly all at once. Nearly two years later, there's no ounce of Tristan that doubts the choice of having Selim by his side.

A lover, turned enemy, turned the love of his goddamn life. Tristan could choke at the sight of him — especially now, watching Selim stand his ground and defending their own.

"Whoa, hey. Hey." Their bodies clash. It's never a bad thing. In the split second that their eyes meet, a thousand universes are communicated through silence alone. "They're watching to see if anyone stands too close to Kylie Jenner. They're not keeping track of us."

[adabasi]

As easily as falling asleep or snapping his fingers, familiar eyes and hands break through every ounce of tension that his body had been holding onto —a dysregulated nervous system, regulates; paranoia fades into knowing; panic becomes calm. Shoulders to toes, his muscles melt like butter or candle wax when the voice of safety speaks to him in assurances and reminders over the noise of conversation and his own mind. Two years of them — one blissfully unaware that their worlds weren't as far apart as they believed. Another, perhaps his favourite this far into their relationship, with Tristan's world becoming his own. A world that, perhaps, was always supposed to be his too. So many people in the brotherhood understood him, understood what it was like to be let down by the people you were meant to trust; systems, authority, other people. He fit in, a strange, wonderful thing to admit. He takes a steadying breath, staying silent for a moment longer just to enjoy the warmth between them before sighing. The world around him really did fade when Tristan was close. "I know, I know" It's almost a whine. "— but you know it's not about that entirely...we've been making waves together. I know what they're like, Tris. I'm just worried that it could be putting unnecessary attention on me and by association, you and everyone else."

[thedocxlevi]

Levi knew that his family had done a lot of damage to people, broken hearts and ruined them emotionally and physically. It was maybe one of the many reasons he choose not to do relationships until Halil. He knew and was glad that the man will be his first and last serious relationship. Selim and his brothers relationship had been complicated and the male got hurt. Selim was indeed a kind and sweet guy and he hated to see the male like that.

Levi knew he was guilty due to association and he had come to understand that for a early age. So he did not mind when people hated his brother, siblings or family also hated him too. He got it and understood it for sure. It was hard for one to stop caring about someone they have history and spent so much of their life with. Levi still cared about his son's mother even if she used him, manipulated him and toyed with him. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I will be honest Selim, I do not know where my brother is. We have not spoke months," he spoke looking at the other. "Am glad you are good and you look good too. That's good I do not have to see you at the hospital that often now."

"I have been great. He is, he is growing up fast," he smiled.

[adabasi]

Selim's swallow is thick — Months? It had almost been a year since he and Fatih had last been in contact. The ex-agent had shown up at the bar he'd been working at at the time, given him a copy of his closed case and then went home to Tristan. A clean slate, a chance to get out of New York and away from his grandfather but he wondered if Fatih had actually taken it or if the dead bodies cropping up around Manhattan in the same killing style was proof that his ex-husband had never really left. "If you hear from him then, let me know..." He leaves it at that.

A soft smile, fond, moves across his lips. "I'm glad that you're doing well, Levi. After everything you've endured, you deserve it." Then a breath. "The... man you came here with tonight. Is he...?" Cartel? Yes. Selim answers his own question in his mind. Did Levi know, he wondered? And if he did, did that mean Levi had gotten caught up with their business too?

[sebastianvb]

The drink splashes over his shirt which—he had actually bothered to wear for once. Look where it got him. Noted: no more shirts for the next event, being shameless was a look easier, clean-up wise. He felt all sticky now, and not even in a good way.

Were they just letting everyone in, these days?

"—Fuck's sake," Sebastian barks in that irritated, clipped tone, alcohol splashing off his fingers with as he shook his hands, stepping backwards to look at the mess that had been made of him and back at the man with those cold, piercing blue eyes.

"What the fuck is the matter with you?" Was he stupid? Why isn't he getting him something to dry himself off with, already? "Could you maybe, I don't know... fucking look while you're busy honing in your brooding skills? You look like you got a kilo of cocaine stashed up your ass, Jesus Christ..."

[adabasi]

Normally skittish by nature, Selim's immediate reaction is to lean over and grab a fistful of napkins from the bar; to apologize profusely, offer to buy him a new shirt or foot the bill for dry cleaning but when the other's voice leaves his mouth in a tone that he knew all too well — haughty, well-to-do, condescending — the ex-agent stills mid-reach, his arms falling back to his sides. His spine straightens, shoulders rounding as he crosses his arms over his chest, dark eyes simply watching the other as he throws his tantrum covered in some sort of sticky alcoholic beverage like a toddler at day-care. A smirk curls on his lips. "A kilo of cocaine weighs about two pounds, give or take - depending on the seller and/or supplier," Selim rocks his head from side-to-side as if weighing the possibilities. "— could be eight inches in length, 5 wide. I can't decide if I should be complimented or insulted that you think I could walk fast enough under those pre-tenses, with it up my ass, to slam into another man about my size and still be standing."

[thedocxlevi]

Levi had given his boyfriend some space and a moment to talk to his Hasan and so he decided to just walk about. See who was here, who was who and maybe try to figure out the mysterious invite. He did not know that many people per say but he had seen some of their faces. Levi never forgot a face. The doctor had decided not to drink tonight and just people watch, plus he had been trying not to run into certain people at all. Lost in thought as he walked, when someone ran into him.

"Are you okay?" he asked not realizing who it was at first before looking at the other. "Selim...." he added his minding going back to a conversation to someone that the male was heavily and deeply connected with the male that had ran into him. Levi sighed for a second.

"How have you been? It's been awhile."

[adabasi]

His name on the his ex-brother-in-law's lips punches nostalgia deep into his stomach and chest, a far greater impact than their bodies having collided moments prior. Just when he thought he could get away, pretend that the worst chapter of his life was over fully, it crept up from the depths of the underworld again like a demon just to taunt him into guilt, shame, and maybe slight concern. Thankfully (and yet disappointingly) the demon who stands in front of him now wasn't a demon at all, not really. His shoulders relax, trauma seeping back into his bones, going silent. "Levi?" Selim's lips curl into a gentle smile. "Still not going to tell me where your brother is?" Because despite everything, he couldn't rid himself of the care he held for a man that he'd spent the majority of his life with.

"I'm good." It's genuine. "Retirement means I don't make nearly as many trips to the emergency room anymore. How are you? Ollie must be...big now, right?"

[adabasi]

( open to all / met gala ) Whether badged and vested, wired, or sporting event attire as he was now, Selim had never been a stranger to high profile events. While not his first with Tristan by his side, as he walks through crowds, for the first time in a long time, he finds himself checking over his shoulder, counting exits, visually patting down every one who came into close proximity to him or anyone who he now considered family — he knew where they set up, his former colleagues — on roof-tops, in the sidelines, dressed in all black, wired to the nines, holding negative and sometimes sick opinions of normal people. It's how one clocks him that unsettles his stomach this time - the more that he closed cases as a private investigator, the more eyes of his former colleagues fell on him. Were they worried, he wondered? That the next name brought to light would be their's?

Lost in thought, uncomfortable under the gaze of a 'security' guard, his paranoia solidifying the importance of retirement, he runs straight into another guest.

[favcelebrities]

[tristanzaire]

"Nah-ah," Tristan shakes his head. "I don't change, I amplify. I'm just making you more of what you already were."

As he's tugged closer, Tristan allows himself to fully melt into Selim — the sort of vulnerability that happens only in private, safe corners that are only their own. Places where it's safe to have his head fit against Selim's chest, a hand coming up to lock around his waist. He's thinking of it all. Hitting thirty, and just what that would mean for someone like him. There's no fear that age would make him disposable, exactly — Selim is older and if anything, once upon a time, Tristan had feared that his youth would be a deterrent; something about maturity level or experience.

He'd hit on him out of sheer boldness, and Selim had entertained him out of pure luck.

All of this to say, Tristan has his own fears. That in two, five, ten years — Selim could be the one to bring up things he hadn't prepared answers for. Marriage, children, a peaceful life away from it all.

As long as its still healthy for us both.

"We had every chance to be unhealthy, and we weren't," Tristan counters, thinking back on that fateful night when a badge stood as a wall between them. "I can't see— Now— Things going any other way—" Spoken with the blind optimism of a freshly twenty-nine year old with very little romantic experience under his belt. But Selim has seen healthy turn unhealthy; he's seen trust twist sideways. "...If you wanna know?" He mentions then, reaching out for a glass, a bottle, whatever — pretending to be nonchalant about it. "I actually managed to love you more since then."

Selim's work within the Brotherhood unlocked something unexplored, a level of admiration Tristan hadn't thought possible to build upon what they already had.

"Listen— It's not that it's old." Eeh. It is, a little. "I just don't get the whole magic stuff." As far as media consumption goes, he isn't exactly a realist, but he does draw the line at spells and enchanted rings. "Thanks, baby." A quick kiss, in return. "What's next for you? Forty?"

[adabasi]

Love did many as many wondrous things as it did hideous, Selim was learning. Every new moment that they spent together, the ex-agent wondered if life between them would always feel like this — warm, flirtatious, easy — or if even after a year and a couple of months, they were still teetering inside the honeymoon phase. He was waiting for the ball to drop, for them to have an outlandish and explosive argument over something or to go to bed mad at one another. But it didn't feel like THEM. They bickered, perhaps because Simba kept ruining his plants or he 'accidentally' placed his cold foot on Tristan's calf in the middle of the night; sometimes, Selim would get frustrated with how many times he would have to remind Tristan to eat or drink water — 'how can you take care of an entire gang if you can't take care of yourself?!' —; others, they were simply hungry when tension grew between them. The leader was right, they'd had every opportunity to be unhealthy but their ability to communicate had won out. A small smile crosses his lips and although he wants to chuckle, he merely turns Tristan to face him, keeping him close and still. "You're not the only one..." Selim admits, "I feel like...every day there's some new that I love about you."

And then, with a slight flush, he pulls away, remembering that they were in a room full of brotherhood members and sheepishly laughs despite the warmth that still lingered in his dark eyes. "What's next?" He grins "For—cing my boyfriend to play dungeons and dragons with me."

[jenna-park]

She's always been a little iffy about new people. Never knows how much to trust them, never knows how far is too far. If there is one thing she's learned, it's that people are fickle and generally cannot be counted on. That, of course, was before the Brotherhood. Like a breath of fresh air, her outlook on life and society was rehabbed and renewed. So yes, while she is generally better when it comes to people within this particular circle, old habits do sometimes die hard.

Tristan likes him, though. Trusts him. Thus, so does she. And thank God, honestly. On a yacht, the world is cramped and the ends of the earth can be deadly.

Time to get to know him better.

"So," she sips her shitty drink. Present company makes up for it. "Who are you when no one is looking?"

@adabasi

[adabasi]

With a skewed view of what 'gangs' were, he'd been somewhat forced by the woes of his heart to dive deep into a world that was mostly unknown to him. Among the many pressures he might've believed them to have, this one, having a good reputation among the collective, trust by association, it was the one that Selim worried about the most. There was more riding on it than a couple of people disliking him; somehow, even though he trusted that Tristan could make his own decisions, he worried that their opinions of him really did matter, even if he felt like a fish out of water. His anxiety had gotten the better of him in a circle, mingling with people that he had to assume were from both The Brotherhood and the other gangs. He'd left Tristan's side to seek solace overlooking the water but his thoughts are interrupted by another. His eyes fall on her, curious and amused at the same time. Selim sucks in a breath, grinning slightly. "Funnily enough, relatively the same as I am when people are looking. The only difference is whether I'm visibly or quietly panicking. I haven't mastered the art of masking yet, at least....not as well as I probably should." He chews his cheek. "You?"

[angelstoker]

open starter bc i got tired sorry

It sickens her to her stomach to see all these people laughing, smiling, enjoying themselves after having washed all the blood off their hands like they could ever be clean; even the clinking of glasses makes her feel nauseated. She wishes she could set this whole damn boat on fire with a match---hell, if she thought she could pheasibly pull it off, she'd probably do it. Fuck all of these 'innocent' people, a little voice in the back of her head whispered; how innocent could they be if they were able mingle with this filth so easily? Innocent. No such animal, she thinks, tipping down her glass.

It tastes... wrong.

"Shit," she nearly chokes, looking down, realizing she'd picked up the wrong drink—blinking, as if unwitting, shrinking herself down into something passive. "Shit—I'm so sorry," she's quick to apologize. "I didn't mean to—I'll get you another one."

[adabasi]

This year, unlike the years before, Selim was looking forward to what the new year would bring him. The blank slate that 2026 currently was excited him into positive thought and only slight apprehension. Something in his gut twisted excitedly despite his need to verify with his own eyes that 2026 would be a good year. So, like many people on this boat, he too was celebrating for the first time in what felt like a decade. They would close more cases, bring justice to those who had been ignored, and fight for a world where everyone could live like they were right now, in celebration.

The ex-agent catches movement near his near empty glass, looking over his shoulder when a woman's voice erupts from the loudness of the crowd. He laughs softly, giving her a playful look. "Don't worry about it, it's just water anyway. If I drink anymore I think the ocean and my dinner might become fast friends. If you catch my drift."

[quiettriage]

setting: northeast star when: dec 31st who: open

nia leaned against the polished railing, the gentle sway of the yacht beneath her matching the quiet rhythm of the night. warm lights strung overhead cast a golden glow on the deck, reflecting off the dark water below. laughter and music floated around her, but she let herself just watch, glass in hand, letting the calm of the evening settle over her.

a shadow fell across her line of sight, and she glanced up to see someone lingering nearby. she offered a small, easy smile and tilted her head toward the empty space beside her. “this spot’s free, if you want it,” she said, her tone casual, almost effortless, as if she’d been expecting company all along.

[adabasi]

For as long as he could remember, he feared the ocean. Not because of its mysteries and horrors but because he didn’t trust the water to keep him afloat. Only recently had he understood that it was not the job of the water to help him swim, that responsibility fell to him. The man is reminded of it as his dark eyes scan the creepy darkness of the water over the railing where he stood now, the cool salty air brushing over his over-heated skin and calming him down enough that manual breath becomes autonomous.     Even as anxiety starts to creep up his neck, nostalgia pushes it down. This time last year, they were perched at the end of a rooftop balcony overlooking the city, friends going through the motions of becoming something more. He’d woken up with him tucked into him, their skin bare and their hearts resonating; funnily enough, they would end this year the same way even if intimacy took no part in it.     Selim himself had started the year as an over-worked FBI agent, coming up against stone wall after stone wall trying to bring justice to his victims and ended it self-employed, closing case after case with the help of The Brotherhood. He’d let go of his traumas, let the LIGHT in, and finally understood just why at the end of August the year prior, the universe sat divine intervention down in front of him, looking pretty with a mind to match.    There was, however, one thing that he’d yet to do - make peace offerings. He was still figuring it out, being a part of The Brotherhood, unsure of how to approach some of the people who clearly believed that he wasn’t a match for them or worse, for Tristan. To say nothing at all, to not even try as he promised, it made Selim feel like he was letting HIM down, so he pushed forward anyway.     Selim swallows on approach, not expecting her to offer him a seat but takes it with a nod. "It's Nia, right?"

[tristanzaire]

And I told them not to listen. Tristan laughs, somewhat proud. "You're a menace, already."

Only in hindsight does Tristan notice that maybe he shouldn't have said it — far too aware of how it triggers Selim into grieving a loss that hasn't happened yet. Yet, honesty holds value. Even if Tristan wants to live long for him, there's no ignoring the fact that he can't be so optimistic that it blinds them both.

His thoughts then shift onto thinking not about himself, but about them as a pair. The pair that fell fast, yet not recklessly so. Even at their messiest, these boys had handled their affection in a careful, albeit starry-eyed manner.

Tristan had never considered such a lost-lasting relationship — even with Nia, it'd happened in a flash. Any and all thoughts of a future had imploded as soon as he'd received the Brotherhood crown.

He smiles now, the very same way he'd smiled when first finding out Selim wanted him back. "...Do you think we'll get there?" Brotherhood aside, he's thinking of their love, and their love only. "Back pain and slippers and all?"

"But," Tristan continues, drawing closer, "the day I insult you over anything — put me the fuck down. I mean it. Bullet to the head, babe, I don't care."

[adabasi]

There was comfort and opportunity waiting even in the darkness of that truth. The ex-agent had been blind-sided by the truth of Fatih's work and due to his own ignorances at the time, any opportunity to patch his relationship with his ex-husband had been voided. At least here, he knew that one day, whether soon or in the future, he could wake up and everything could be different again. He wouldn't handle it well, that he already knew, it would be worse than before, he'd be more angry, less chained by his badge; it would be ironic for their first conversation to be about the morals of law and murder, only for him to suddenly find himself teetering with it himself. Selim grins. "You're a bad influence." He tugs the shorter man close, nodding but not quite meeting his eyes out of fear that he would see into his soul. Selim did believe that on a personal level, without the woes of gang dynamics and leadership hanging over their heads, they would be together for a long time but his terror of losing him often won out. He hums then, "Once you hit 30, it's all downhill from there." The man grins "back pain, the desire for warm feet due to bad circulation, enjoy your youth while you still have it, kid." He teases. "...I think we'll make it there, as long as its still healthy for us both."

Cheekiness overcomes him then, with one quirked eyebrow and a devilish expression. "I'll remember that the next time you get on my case for making you sit through the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy with me." He brushes his nose against Tristan's cheek. "Happy Birthday, Tris."

[ofkpianka]

status: open when: very late at night where: barbarella bar

If you were to ask anyone, Karina was in no way a "professional" bartender. Sure, she could mix a damn good Moscow Mule but she was in any capacity fit to work behind a bar. She pours a little too heavy. That however did not stop her from getting behind the bar of one of her favorite places to get a few drinks. She hadn't been waiting too long but it was long enough that she felt like she was going to be forgotten about.

Sitting near the end of the bar has its perks as she quietly got up from her seat and took just a few steps to round the corner to be behind the bar, assessing all of her liquor options. Don't mind if I do. Karina was mid pour of her favorite, and best to date, Dirty Martini when someone had come up to her for a glass of wine. Not missing a beat, Karina poured more than she should've but with a smile on her face as she handed it back, "There you are, hon. You enjoy that." Then she turned to the next person, "Something I can do for you?"

[adabasi]

It started with a phone call from one of his ex-supervisors and ended with him grabbing his jacket and setting off for the familiar bar where his ex-husband worked. For an hour, Selim had taken up a space at the counter, people watching, keeping his eye on the door and waiting for his shift to begin but he hadn't shown. The ex-agent felt its sting despite not understanding it. Perhaps because it made him relive the nights where he would wait for Fatih to come home, none the wiser to his extracurricular activities or perhaps because after everything, after risking his job to get his case closed and the charges dropped, hearing that someone with his same style was dropping bodies around New York again pissed him off.

Would he ever be able to pull himself out of it? Or was him trying to save Fatih distracting himself from being unable to save the man who was at home waiting for HIM? The man looks up when spoken too but sighs. "Is Fatih working tonight?" He asks believing her charade.

[hasanxhilic]

Hasan was enjoying himself, he was watching people and taking a note of their faces. Hasan never forgot a face and by observing people he can get a small picture about who they were. He watched as they interacted with each other trying to see who they got along with and who they did not get along with which could be useful in the future. Hasan loved pushing people's button and his main mission tonight was to push the button of his older brother but he still had to keep a low profile. Hasan fun was interrupted when, a certain agent came up to his direction.

"You got to be kidding me," he said to himself rolling his eyes as the male walked up to him. "I have always been brave," he replied with a sly smile on his face. "Nah, I even forgot you existed. I guess I have lived in your head rent free," he added as he looked into his eyes. Hasan was trying his best not to do something stupid especially when his bicep was squeezed.

"What's with everyone assuming I am here to cause trouble. For the record, I have been on my best behavior and it is not me who is walking up to someone in a threating manner and grabbing their hand," he whispered. "You are so full of yourself Mister? Sorry, I think I forgot your name."

[adabasi]

"Where ever you and your brother go, trouble always follows, Hasan. I have a good reason to believe nothing good will come for New York with you here" Selim grins where he might've grimaced before, letting the other's arm fall back to his side. "You might not remember my name but you remember me. Think back to Istanbul, 2021, you ordered a hit on a prominent man, carried it out. They called me in to help." Selim takes a breath, leaning in closely again. "I'm the american special agent that your men almost killed."

[tristanzaire]

@adabasi setting: tristan's bday @ some brotherhood-owned bar/club

Tristan's twenty-nine, today. An age he'd never thought he'd see.

A party takes place — not unlike the one where Selim and him came to a head, alliances laid out in clarity — and he's at the centre of it, until he's not. "I told them not to do anything," he says, pulling Selim away from the nest. "I always think my current birthday is my last birthday, so it's like the world's least sexy bachelor party."

Beat.

"...I never thought I'd be twenty-nine. I don't even know what to do with myself." A painful, but honest truth. As always then, a joke as line-break: "Do I need botox yet?"

[adabasi]

Growing up, December had been just another month for Selim. He'd been intrigued by the idea of Santa Clause and gift giving but always wondered if Santa Clause was an ex-con; who else would sneak into homes in the middle of the night in New York? Though, he could never figure out why he left presents rather than trying the safe. Fatih's family brought him into the tradition and out of respect, he played along, however, this time of the year was colourless and boring to him — until now. Right after Halloween, when the leaves started to change their colours and the first snow fell in large flakes, blanketing the city in white, a sort of giddy excitement began creeping into him. December 2024; he'd been on a plane to California to consult on a murder investigation that the local p.d hadn't been able to close. His phone had buzzed too many times for him to ignore against his thigh; they'd been making plans for New Years... "And I told them not to listen." Selim counters, mischief tugging his lips into a grin as Tristan pulls him away.

Moments like these were the only moments that he regretted quitting the FBI. How else could he protect his right to live a long, prosperous life? Selim takes a breath; every time he spoke in this manner, the ex-agent had to control the imagined grief that flickered in his chest. He was getting better at it, hiding his disapproval of the topic, but it still stung the same way as it had when he'd first said it to him. Though, in some ways, he too, hadn't believed he would've lived to a certain age. Here they were, he supposed. "I doubt you'll ever need botox, even when you're old and insult me for not getting your slippers quick enough."

[avamhollis]

context: halloween at the brooklyn paramount with: @adabasi

She resents Sam's orders — wouldn't killing this guy send a much clearer message? Wasn't the Brotherhood supposed to rebel against power and whatnot? Is the FBI suddenly on the side of the people they claim to protect?

When Ava approaches him, she does it with a smile and two drinks, one of which she places in his hand. "I hope it's okay I assumed," she says, nodding down at the glass. Vodka cranberry, of course.

She sips on her own drink, lets a few seconds of silence linger before she speaks again. "Do you know who I am?"

[adabasi]

For most of the night, Selim had been keeping a very close eye on Tristan; who approached him, who touched him, who handed him drinks and more importantly, who he'd walked away with. Although he was new to his world, Selim's training helped him fill in the gaps where necessary. Watching his lover walk away with two men, one who he recognized as a friend to his brother-in-law, had made him restless. As he's about to follow them up the stairs to the balconies, Selim is stopped in his tracks by a woman that he doesn't recognize, who hands him a drink as if they were familiars. "No," Selim starts, sighing softly. "But I get the feeling you're going to tell me anyway."

[zaireaj]

context: halloween at the brooklyn paramount with: open !!

The hat was ridiculous; he can't believe he let Tristan talk him into it. AJ takes it off and runs a hand over his short hair, as if it could have somehow gotten messed up. "Another," he requests of the barman with a vague motion of his hand.

Then, looking off to the side. "What are ya supposed to be?"

[adabasi]

Selim winces. "Don't make me say it...." The ex-agent almost whines to the man sitting next to him at the bar. Although he loved Halloween, he'd never been creative enough to come up with good costume ideas; last year, he'd grabbed something last minute from the party store on the way to a similar event. This year? He'd slapped on a victorian outfit and some fake fangs and here he was, a VAMPIRE in front of friends, allies, and strangers. "Someone already made a comment about, well..." He sighs despite his grin. "At least your costume is normal"