[ oktay çubuk, cismale, he/him ] - was that ASLAN NADIR i saw by the lighthouse today? i heard that the TWENTY-EIGHT year old who has been in nightrest for HIS WHOLE LIFE and works as a DJ AT MEDUSA has a reputation of being EASY GOING, but also NONCHALANT. they reside in LOW POINT & people in town usually associate them with THE SOUND OF LOUD MUSIC BLASTING, AN ASSORTMENT OF EXPENSIVE LIQUOR, & A LOPSIDED GRIN PLASTERED ON HIS LIPS. let’s hope the killer doesn’t go after them next. [ jia, 28, she/her, gmt+3, n/a ]
Aslan was born and raised in Nightrest, and has known a life of luxury and privilege since he was a little kid, with everything handed to him and his younger sister, Azra on a silver platter. Aslan doesn’t remember a time where his family didn’t shower him and his sister with attention growing up.
A virtuoso from a very young age, his parents had supported this hobby, even though it came at the expense of his grades. He didn’t particularly care about school apart from being the center of attention, attending every single party there is and having a big group of friends. It came easy with his charismatic and playful personality. He skated by at school, doing just the bare minimum to pass his classes and eventually graduate. He didn’t feel the need to abide by rules when his parents didn’t even enforce them.
They were fine with how wild their eldest was, especially because he at least graduated school, even though he refused to go to college. However, eventually, it became too much and they threatened to cut him off and cut his access to his trust fund. Which, fair, he supposes. He’s always splurged. It didn’t help that his sister did the same. Their condition was simple—get a job. They wanted their son to be responsible for once. So, he got a job as a DJ at Medusa. It didn’t feel like a job when it’s at a nightclub and he still gets to be somewhere with loud music, good vibes, and booze. It felt like a two birds one stone situation, if you asked him.
Much to his parents’ dismay, that didn’t make him any more responsible. He still splurged, still partied too much, slept around. But hey, he has his own place and his own job, he’s independent as far as he’s concerned!
PERSONALITY.
Aslan’s a spoiled brat. He’ll bullshit his way to get what he wants and expects things to come to him without putting in any real effort. He’s good with words, a charismatic flirt through and through, who will joke, tease, and banter. There’s very little he cares about, i.e., his sister, his cat, money, music, partying, fucking around, and his close friends. He can play the drums, guitar (both electric and acoustic), and piano. He’s composed music, too, but it’s not something he shares with people. He’s very nonchalant and dismissive, and doesn’t take things seriously, simply because there’s nothing that’s really worth it. He’s pretty cocky and selfish, and will very rarely put others’ needs above his own. He likes to fool around and hook up. He’s not against dating, but his relationships don’t last long because he gets bored too quickly. His longest relationship is probably four or five months.
Aleyna couldn't even picture never apologizing again when she'd even apologize if she bumped into walls or table edges, an instinct at this point. "What are you gonna do, ask me to take a shot every time I say it?" She jokes. "Thank you," Aleyna murmurs after a beat of silence, a small smile on her lips because even though the frustration had blinded her a bit, she believes in her talent enough to understand that what Aslan was saying was true and surely, she'll get there eventually, once she got to work on it more. "Yeah? How are you going to do that? Take the edge off?" Aleyna softly asks, an eyebrow raising as she meets his gaze. "You're still underestimating me, Nadir?" She asks, clicking her tongue before letting out a laugh. "If we're doing this, you're going to have to show me yours first. I'm sure it's great, like really great, since you're so confident about it and I'm sure I'll like it a lot, and then maybe I'll show you mine and hopefully, you'll like it too. So come on then," Aleyna says, her smile turning more playful as she looked at him with an expectant look. "Because my puppy eyes weren't good enough so I had to bring out the good stuff. Don't make me stay on my knees for too long, though," she jokingly adds, smiling as he held onto her fingers, her breath hitching slightly as he leaned closer to her. It was getting harder and harder for her to deny the effect Aslan had on her, especially because they had shared that hot make out session during that party which she has not been able to stop thinking about since. She liked to think she was hiding just how flustered she got when he was close well, even though everything still felt so fresh in her mind. Aleyna could still remember the feeling of running her hands through his curls, how his touch on her skin that night had left a trail of heat that made her own face hot right now just thinking about it, how she hadn't wanted the kiss to stop. Forcing herself to ignore all of that, she took the chance to move her gaze to his drums instead. "Thank you," she murmurs with a grateful smile. "Your biggest fan, huh? I hope you're not expecting me to wear a t-shirt with that written on it," Aleyna teases, her smile growing. "So what I'm hearing is that I'm getting backstage passes for life?"
"No, you'll have to admit I'm a better musician than you are," he drawls. "Imagine how many times you would've had to say it just now?" He tuts, shaking his head, their usual banter coming into play. Aleyna never admit he's better, so maybe that could actually get her to stop apologizing over every little thing. "Don't mention it. Just don't forget that when we're back in there and working on a song, yeah?" he reminds her with a smile, because it can be so easy to forget and be overwhelmed by making something that sounds just perfect and right. "Hmmm." He pauses for dramatic effect, a look on his face like he's actually giving it some thought and closes the distance between their bodies. "I have a few ideas, though I can't tell you. It depends if you're willing to find out," he muses, keeping his eyes down on her. The way she rambles next is amusing to him. "Fine, you've got a deal, Aleyna. Get ready to be amazed." There's clear double meaning implied here, except he's sure Aleyna will just grasp one side of it. He doesn't expect much reciprocation when it comes to her, apart from that night in the Wild West party. It makes him smug noting that way she reacts when he leans closer, Aslan can't resist doing more, to get a reaction out of her. He doesn't take any step back, fixing his eyes down at her. "The good stuff. That's pretty bold. You know actions speak louder than words, right?" There's a wickedness in his eyes. Aslan's a simple guy. Aleyna's an attractive woman, and even though their kiss had been a mere game, it was still fun. If it wasn't in his DJ booth, but somewhere more private, it wouldn't have ended there. He chuckles at her words. "If you're getting backstage passes for life, the least you can do is wear a t-shirt with my name on it—Aslan Nadir's number one fan."
"Oh, so you were watching me too?" Belkis says, a single brow perking up as her eyes direct themselves back onto Aslan. "If I had known, I probably would've done something a little more exciting than just tapping away on my computer." As if there was anything else she could've been doing. Aslan, alone, taking up most of what her plans for the store had been for that day. "I have patience," she counters because she knows it's true and to further prove her point, Bel gives a nod of her head as a sort of agreeance. Accepting the answer as it was given. Keeping her focus on everything that rested in front of them—eyes and thoughts focused on the task at hand. Making the cupcakes. A task easy enough that would not only lift her older sister's spirits, but also keep Belkis' mind occupied; not wanting to think about what was happening in town. What continues to happen. It's the reason she hadn't had the slightest suspicion about Aslan and what he could've been doing. Hadn't bothered to glance in his direction the second he said he'd finished that step—quickly shifting her eyes to the instructions once more. Her lip part to give him the next step, but she's instantly cut off by the feeling of his hands—and the powder that clouds around her. Belkis is shocked. Mouth agape as she turns to look at the man standing beside her and it doesn't take long before she's clicking her tongue against her teeth. Steps taking her closer toward both him and the bowl of flour he finished pouring. She wants to laugh, but she holds herself together before giving him a slow nod. "Yeah, I can tell. That's why you should leave the measuring up to me because I can actually cook," hands reaching into the bowl as she speaks, taking two fistfuls of the white powder before she's flinging it in his direction. Payback. "I think that's closer to a cup," she finally laughs, but her hands instantly clasp around the bowl—pulling it out of his reach as means of stopping him from reaching for more; completely forgetting about the bag.
"I was. You were so focused on your laptop," he admits, his tone and expression equal parts serious and playful. He doesn't care that he's admitting this, or that there's a little more seriousness seeping through the nonchalant banter. "Oh, yeah? Exciting like what? Now I have to know," he muses, just because she was at her place of work back then, so it makes him curious. Aslan presses his lips together, in a failed attempt to suppress a cheeky grin. The way her lips part in shock over the flour dumped over her head is priceless, a reaction that'll surely get saved in his head so he reminds her of it whenever the opportunity arises. The boyish grin curves up his lips when she approaches him with the bowl, anticipating what might happen next. "Hey, I added the right measurements into the bowl, don't forget." His eyes dart down to her hands before the flour is flung in his face. "Oof." He chuckles. "Kaplan, you play dirty." He eyes her, a glint of mischievous, wicked mirth in his eyes as she keeps the bowl out of reach. Except he doesn't need the bowl when the bag is right next to him, reaching for it, taking a handful of flour into each of his hands and flinging them in her face. "What's a bowl going to do against the entire bag?" he teases, readying himself for more incoming flour attacks. He reaches to pull the the bowl out of her arms, placing her on one of the nearby counters before he closes the distance between them so her back is against one of the counter, placing a hand on either side of her body, as if trapping her there. "Now what are you going to do when I have you trapped and weaponless?" He tilts his head slightly to the side, smirking down at her. Even in the midst of the clear game they were playing, Aslan feels the air get a little heavy around him. Maybe he shouldn't be closing the distance like that, not when Belkis had been worried a mere kiss would impact their friendship. But he can't help it. He's not good with self-control anyway, and he wants to see how far he can push her, if she'll reciprocate or not. It's not like he hasn't thought of the incident at the festival and more. "You've got a little flour here..." With that, his thumb reaches to wipe the flour off her bottom lip, keeping his eyes on her, as if it's the only part of her face covered with flour.
"Yeah, I went through some of his stuff and heard this." It was painful to think how it wasn't Dante showing him this and he won't be able to hear what he's done with the song, but somehow it was Grey's way of healing. "Before that wild west party. I was just listening to it and some ideas popped up. I might add something more, but I figured the world deserves one last song from him."
"Is that the only thing he had been working on? Because if there's more, you can release a whole thing in his honor," he says, the idea popping into his head. It might be cathartic and healing for Grey, dealing with everything through music. "Play it again, let me see where we can potentially add to it."
"I don't have drama with anyone. I'm a delight. If anyone disagrees, then that's their problem, not mine." Azra hardly cared about who did and didn't like her, let alone some country soundcloud bitch who'd fuck any guy in sight. "No," she retorts bluntly. Because of course, she's better than Aslan, in her mind at least. On the outside though, he was clearly the preferred one, whether it be because she was more abrasive than him, or because he was simply a man. "That should be her sign to leave town on the horse she rode in on. Who would even stay in a place where no one likes them?" It sounded stupid to her, and as similar as she and Rory were at times, she'd hardly associate herself with someone so idiotic.
Aslan chuckles at his sister's words. Anyone who read the group chat could see Azra had drama with a few people; however, he agrees with her—it is their problem, not hers, because he's the same in that regard, he didn't give two shits about what people thought about him. "Sorry, who's the delight? Let's not fool ourselves," he teases, scrunching his nose before he grins. "People still ride horses in 2023? Damn, she really is a horse girl." He chuckles at her words. "Maybe she's promoting her music here, though she'd have better luck in Wyoming or Tennessee." But he's (unfortunately) heard some of her music, and he can't even see the hick states liking it.
"I'm the last person that needs an ego boost," Jae retorts dryly as if he doesn't already think so highly of himself. At least, in the way that matters. Sure he wasn't winning boyfriend of the year, but he was well aware that he was great in plenty of other aspects, both mentally and physically. A crazy blonde ex was the last thing that was going to break his spirit. His relationships usually ended up badly, or at best with neither of them speaking to each other, so maybe it was something he should grow used to, even if the obvious answer was making some kind of self changes. "Fuck no, if we move to the same place, we'll just end up doing the same thing," he lets out with a laugh. Of course, he lived in LA, and while the city wasn't small, the circles were.
"Are you sure you don't?" There's a faux concerned expression on his features before he grins his way. He's joking and it shows. If anyone's as vain as Aslan, it's Jae. "I mean, we won't be moving to some small town, the city's huge and heavily populated." It's a fun idea to ponder. It's not that he hasn't thought about it multiple times before, but it's not something he sees himself doing. If deranged murderers haven't driven him out of town, he's not sure what would. Then again, he's not a planner. "Besides, you'd get to leave the clinic behind and do something you actually wanna do."
"That's true, but I can still judge their poor decision-making." She adds in a sing-song tone. "It sounds exhausting - being a final girl and all that. Have you seen Sidney Prescott? Fought till the end for what? I don't even know how many Ghostfaces tried to get her. And then there's the new sisters, I wonder who will hate them so much they'll don the Ghostface mask next." She explains, glancing between Aslan and the screen every so often. "I know, and talk about a shit ending. We were left on a cliffhanger." Gabbie can't deny that some days her mind wanders to who could have been the second murderer and if they weren't lurking in the shadows.
"Nothing would stop you anyway." It takes Aslan a while to remember who Sidney Prescott is. He's watched most Scream movies, he's just bad with names (and he doesn't care to memorize or remember them). "Hey, and she survived each Ghostface, didn't she? You don't want to be invincible?" he teases. He's only teasing Gabbie, especially with how she's invested in it. He chuckles a little. "I hate cliffhangers. If anything, it makes me demotivated, so sucks to be them."
"I had to literally bite my tongue to stop. Not the best method, but it's a start," Aleyna says, letting out a laugh. She knows the root of her frustration was that, as cocky as it sounded, music had always come easy for her. She'd gotten used to it even -- playing instruments, even ones she wasn't familiar with, with ease, hearing songs for the first time and then being able to immediately play them, even writing her own songs, just without lyrics -- which was why she found herself being frustrated that she couldn't immediately get this right, but still felt apologetic over the frustration anyway because she knew Aslan was taking time out of his day to help her out and she really didn't want him to feel like he was wasting his time. "Are you challenging me right now? Because I will show you mine if you show me yours," Aleyna grins. "I only say stuff I mean. You want me on my knees that bad, Nadir?" She jokes back, laughter filling the air at the mental image of it. "How long have you had it?" Aleyna asks, turning away from the old guitar to smile at Aslan as he nears her. "I think I just need to use the drums more and then I'll get it because I don't have a drum set back home to practice on. So if... I-- I know I'm already asking for a lot, but if it's okay, can I... maybe practice here? With yours?" She asks, looking up at him with a hopeful expression, tainted only by how sheepish she felt for asking. "Nope. I'd actually be by the stage wings, singing and dancing along, because you--" Aleyna says as she pokes his chest gently. "Would have given me a backstage pass," she confidently finishes with a playful grin. Her eyes quietly take in the sobering of his expression, but listens to him talk intently, a small smile forming on her lips. "Don't you just love it when things work out? You get to do what you love in a job that probably doesn't even feel like a job, and I bet your parents must be proud of you too," Aleyna says, smiling up at him. "You'll be playing at Tomorrowland before you know it," she adds, her tone playful but she believes it. Aslan was talented enough to be able to do it.
He chuckles at her words. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out. You'll never utter those words ever again under my watch. See how good I am," he drawls playfully. "Though, in all seriousness, you're good, Aleyna. You're a really good musician, so take it easy on yourself. Music doesn't come to you when you're thinking too hard." A slow smile curves up his lips, signaling the end of the 'seriousness'. "Besides, if you're feeling on edge, I know how to take that edge off," he teases, holding her eye contact for a moment or not, expecting it to go right over her head. "I am challenging you. I didn't think you'd be up for it. Color me shocked, though." He takes a few extra steps towards Aleyna, tilting his head to the side as he looks at her. "You said you'd get down on your knees for me. I didn't bring it up," he says, giving her a crooked grin. He takes a quick look at his drums, nodding back at her. "Yeah, you can practice here on mine. You're not asking for a lot." He reaches to hold her forefinger when she pokes his chest, leaning down just a little. "True, I have to give my biggest fan a backstage pass," he teases, reciprocating the grin before he lets go of her fingers and pulls back to initial position. "Yeah, being a DJ doesn't feel like a job." Which is why it felt like a two birds, one stone kinda situation, he clowned his parents in a way, because the idea of having an actual job, some boring nine-to-five job and doing something where he'd rather die than do it, was just not in the plan for him, and will never be. He wanted his trust fund, and he's got it, so it feels like everything smartly came together. "I love Medusa, so being there a few times a week works for me, so it really worked out the way I wanted it to." He nods. "And you'll be there with a backstage pass."
"Ew. TMI, Aslan." She makes a face at her brother's words, because in what world would she want to hear about his plans after the night ended. "Why does it matter to you? Half of the girls that want in your pants can't stand my fuckin' guts anyway. Clearly, I have no shortage of people to have a problem with," Azra retorts, rolling her eyes at the very idea, because she was so clearly the better sibling. Not to mention it was so sexist, considering she and Aslan were hardly that different. "She's just a bitch. And not in a cute way. You'd think in 2023, in the age of feminism, that girls would support girls."
Aslan just nonchalantly shrugs at Azra's words. "What, can't I ask a simple question? Maybe there's some drama happening that I don't know about?" he jokes. Aslan doesn't care to join in drama most of the time, unless it brings it some sort of entertainment and to add a little bit of fuel to the fire. Otherwise, he'd rather just watch from afar. "You think they realize I'm the better sibling?" he teases, moving to sit down and lean back, brows furrowing a little, because he finds it odd that her outspoken attitude isn't always met with open arms when him and Azra weren't that different in that regard. "People are so pissy lately anyway, everything gets to them." He nods. "She doesn't support anyone but herself." He chuckles. "Clearly no one stands her and she doesn't care."
There’s a few moments that go by before Flora can even think about replying. In those few seconds, she contemplates a lot - whether she can get away with murdering him without being labeled as the Nightrest killer is the biggest one. If she can even get away with it in general, even if the chaos in town wasn’t going on. Somehow, she’s more ashamed of pondering over whether it’d be inappropriate to just kiss him right in front of the poor liquor store cashier who absolutely did not need to be subjected to their fighting. Even if it ended in the weirdest display of public affection. “You’re such a cocky little prick, has anyone ever told you that before?” Flora spat, grabbing her bottles after Aslan paid for them. If he was expecting a thank you, he’d be waiting for a while. She needed to seriously spend a few days of self-reflection to figure out why on earth the people she always seemed to go for were the people that annoyed her more than anything. “Like, if you ever wanted to get me back into bed, this is so not the way to go about it.” It was bold, to assume he even did. Flora wasn’t completely clueless, she figured Aslan was with a lot of women, a lot of the time. Still, she was playing the long game - whether he took his own turn and reciprocated was the more anxiety inducing part. And yet it didn’t stop her before muttering, “What you get for it -,” Glancing over her shoulder, she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence when others were around. Nodding her head towards the exit of the liquor store, she left, without bothering to check if he was following. Rounding the corner of the store, so that they were the only people in the alley, she stared at him determinedly. Lips pressed together, cheeks flushed - she seemed hardly as tough as she always tried to seem, but that wasn’t the point in that moment, though she needed him to see just how serious she was. “The pact is that… we never discuss what happened that night or any other night that occurs from now on. As long as it keeps happening, whenever I want - within reason. Duh. And we never tell anyone. Got it?”
"And yet, that doesn't seem to bother you in the slightest," he drawls, clearly unbothered and unfazed by her words, because whatever she says, Aslan believes he's got the upper hand and actions speak louder than words, at the end of the day. "Aw, did you just indirectly admit you wanted to get back into bed with me? Don't concern yourself with my ways." He's done it before, he'll do it again. It's not like his attitude with her changed. He still likes to tease her and he's still insufferable, Florence is just playing hard. But none of that fazes Aslan, unfortunately. He quirks his eyebrow at her as he waits for her words, brows furrowing as she gestures for him to follow her, so he does, heading to the corner of the store. He looks around, a smirk curving up his lips. "We're alone. I didn't know you're into doing that in public," he teases, chuckling to himself before he pauses again to see what she's going to see. There's a smug expression on his face when she gives in. He doesn't care about it being a secret, because honestly it's not that big of deal. He's not sure why she's making a big deal out of a hook up, but hey, to each their own. "Fine by me. And what's 'within reason' to you?"
"Mm, there was one called an Alabama Slammer... which sounded kind of sexual and weird so I decided against it," Mei added with a shrug. That, and she didn't really like to drink whiskey. "You haven't even made me a drink yet, Aslan! How can I promise to be a regular when you haven't even shown me your skills?" She lets out a laugh as he bumps her shoulder and leans in, the contents of the drink she'd made suddenly becoming that much more interesting. It's not like this is anything new between them, but maybe it's the recent events in her life that keep her from indulging herself too much. "The other way must be sex, right?" she says mindlessly, her own bold words barely registering in her brain as she carelessly takes a sip of her drink, wincing again at its power. "Maybe I should chug this one and get it over with."
"If it comes from Alabama, then it's probably nothing good. It's good you decided against it," he points out with a grin. "What, don't you trust my skills?" His eyes widen a little in mock shock, placing a hand to his heart with his free hand in mock offense. "And here I thought you were going to support me. My heart's wounded, Mei," he drawls, a slow smile curving up his lips, tilting his head slightly to the head as he maintains the proximity, his eyes focused on her. "Why? Do you want to know?" He grins. "I can't reveal everything just like that." He nods. "Might as well. Let's chug it. On the count of three?"
Sarah sighs. "Fuck it. I'm sorry." Running a hand through her hair, she barely notices as she starts pacing slightly back and forth in the crowded space. "This has all been just—really a lot, and that's not an excuse for being a jackass, but it's all I've got? Everything between...between Jake, and that bitch Adee, and the tension with Charlotte... And I've been really bitchy lately, it's like I'm—I'm on steroids or some shit—and I can't seem to fix it...or shut up, at this rate." Her jaw clamps shut as her face flushes. "But, um. That's not your fault."
Aslan watches Sarah ramble on with her apology and her explanation. "You're not the only one who went through shit, you know, and everyone's dealing with their own shit or still reeling from it," he points out, sticking his hands in his pockets. Yeah, having her sibling in jail sucked, but odds are he was going to get out, either because the Ohs were fucking loaded or because the judge would deem him innocent. Aslan believed Jake belonged in there, because the story didn't add up in his head, and the potential idea that he had hurt his sister or at least was in on the idea has his blood boiling, so in full honesty, he doesn't give two shits about him. He nods at her words. "Well, of course, it's not my fault, but alright." A pause. "What are you doing in Medusa, anyway?" he asks, changing the subject a little even though his usual easy going demeanor wasn't back just yet. "Being here isn't going to help."
"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry--" Aleyna started to say before she realized she was apologizing again. "Sorry--" she said, apologizing for apologizing before letting out a laugh, biting down on her tongue in case she was about to apologize again. "Yeah, exactly that. Why? Wanna do it?" Aleyna asked with a smile. Maybe showing her stuff wouldn't be so bad, if it was to someone who respected and loved the music as much as she did. Someone she was sure would give her his honest opinion too, even though she was pretty sure her music was actually good. At least, according to herself. "On my knees," she confirmed, her tone playful. The smile on her lips only grew as she got into the music room, letting out a soft sigh of contentment at seeing all the instruments. Her eyes went over each of them, looking for the ones that showed signs of wear. Sure, the expensive guitars were really pretty to look at, and probably felt amazing to play too, but there was something so homey about seeing old instruments and knowing they look that way because they were loved well. Aleyna thought back to her own first instrument that she got with her own money, a pink electric guitar that had definitely seen better days, but she could never let go of it. "I'll conquer you one day," Aleyna muttered, pulling her attention away from the guitars to glare at the drums in the room before she moved to press a few keys on the piano lightly. It felt oddly intimate being here, even if it was just to see a collection of instruments, but she took it all in, just happy to be in his space, before turning towards Aslan again, a curious look in her eyes. "All these instruments and you didn't want to be a rockstar? Play to sold out stadiums where they throw bras on the stage?" She asked with a light laugh, no judgment in her tone. "What made you decide to take the DJ route?" Aleyna gently asked.
"We should do something about that excessive apologizing of yours." Aslan looks at her with an amused look. Not only is he someone who's annoyingly unapologetic, but he finds no reason for Aleyna to be apologizing right now, especially when making music doesn't always come smooth and easy. "I'm not sure you'd be up for it," he notes teasingly, because unsurprisingly, he's talking about something else entirely and odds are, it went right over the brunette's head. "On your knees? I'll keep that in mind, though don't say stuff you don't mean, Durmaz," he jokes, his voice a playful drawl because once again, they're talking about two different things. It doesn't stop Aslan though, because it's fun. He watches her explore the music room and the different instruments on display, a look of awe on her face. "The first one is on the far left is the first guitar I ever had." He points at it, sticking his hands in his pockets and walking towards her. It looks overused and old, but Aslan has kept all of his instruments, even the oldest ones, even if he no longer uses them and opts to use the newer stuff. "If you need someone to practice the drums with, let me know," he offers. He chuckles at her words, shrugging. "Would you have been in the audience?" he teases, grinning before his expression sobers up at her question. "Growing up, music was just a hobby, it's not something I seriously considered making a career out of it. It came at the expense of my grades and my parents didn't really care, they supported the hobby," he starts. "And then they wanted me to get a job, and DJing felt like the best option, because I could still enjoy playing music while I making it at the same time, and time passed and I enjoy it still." He wasn't exactly the most ambitious person out there or a planner, and he wasn't going to tell Aleyna he only got the job because that was his parents' condition to accessing his trust fund.
He might be a lot of things, but Jae was always decent enough to end his relationships before moving on. Eve and her bullshit view on love only reminded him how being in something casual was so much easier. "She should find another guy to go nuts over. Why do I have to deal with any of that?" It bothers him, everything about Eve feels like a nuisance. "Aleyna," he answers, though it quickly dawns on him the irony of what they'd done when he vaguely remembers his best friend kissing a girl that looked a lot like the one he took home, and Jae distinctively remembers kissing the girl Aslan took home. "This town is too fuckin' small," he lets out, a chuckle coupled with a sigh.
“Because she’s obsessed with you. It’d be a much needed ego boost for you if she wasn’t straight up stalkerish and weird,” he teases his best friend, grinning his way. Jae can handle himself just fine, at the end of the day, and stories like these remind Aslan that keeping things casual was much better, even though he hasn’t had any particularly bad break ups in the past and he’s managed to stay on good terms with his exes. The mention of Aleyna makes him chuckle, just because of the reminder that they had made out earlier in the night. “It’s too fucking small,” he repeats, agreeing with his words and chuckling. “We should just pack our bags and move to LA or something.” It’s just a joke, he’s not actually serious.
"Oh, yeah, for sure. I couldn't take my eyes off you, Aslan" she adds in, giving him a quick nod of her head as Bel bites back a laugh. Despite the sarcasm that highlights her words, she can't deny the way her gaze would shift from their spot on the screen and onto Aslan every so often—wearing a smile as she noted the concentration he seemed to place on a task that was considered so simple to her. "I do. Do you have any more warnings I should probably listen to? Or was that the only one?" A brow perks up as she glances at him, reaching for the biggest bowl and sliding it until it was situated in front of him. "Oh, I am a great teacher. As long as you listen to me about this like you did those flowers then we should be okay." That same smile on her face as she reaches for the measuring cups, "Okay, so the first step is mixing all the dry ingredients. So, right now, you need a cup of flour," she explains, chin motioning to where the bag of flour was. "You do that and I'll do the baking powder. Sound easy enough?" She asks, turning her head to glance up at Aslan.
"You're not the only one who couldn't take their eyes off the other," he muses, admitting to having done the same with her back at her shop, maintaining the playfulness in his tone as he does so, to keep the banter-filled energy in the conversation, despite the way his eyes focus a little more on her. "There might be some more warnings eventually. All in due time, Bel. You've got to practice some patience." The grin that was plastered on his lips starts to slowly disappear as he refocuses his attention from the redhead to the ingredients on the table. It's a lot of things he has no idea what to do with. He listens to her instructions, nodding. "It's a piece of cake. I'll be a natural at this, you'll see." With that, he reaches for the bag of flour and the measuring cups, searching for the right one, before he adds one cup onto the bowl. "See, one cup of flour—all done," he announces, before an idea comes to mind, and naturally Aslan will act on his impulses. He puts his hand in the bag of flour, taking a handful and dropping them on Belkis's hair. He's supposed to be helping out (and he did—with the one cup of flour!), but honestly, he wants to make things a little more funner for her. It hasn't been long since she lost someone close to her, and even though she hasn't been talking about it, all he wanted was to distract her and help her forget and make her laugh, and if messing around a little with flour does the job, he'll do it. "I think that was a cup of flour, too. I'm bad with measuring food," he teases, a smirk curving up his lips as he waits for her reaction.
