Either seem as you are or be as you seem.

Ilyas Kartal. 36. Husband. Father. Architecture Professor at Wiggins University.

[ilyas-kartal]

Get to Know: Ilyas Kartal

name:  Ilyas Kartal age: 36 faceclaim:  Kerem Bürsin occupation: Architecture Professor at Wiggins University neighborhood: Iron River gender: cis-male, he/him pronouns

The stats ||The story || The plots

//Hey everyone! I’m Alice, coming at you from the gmt + 1 timezone, and I’m very excited to be here! I can’t wait to start roleplaying with you all.

Ilyas has been in town for quite a while, so I’d love to strike up some connections with you all! He’s filling for @grciastella​ ‘s wc for a husband, so I already have some starting ground for people he knows, but I’d love to find out more! Please leave a like if you’d like to plot with the lad! (I’m already gonna do the rounds myself, but just to make sure I don’t miss anyone hehe)

[labella-instagram]

[ilyas-kartal]

grciastella·:

💋

Stella let out a soft laugh; she liked visiting him at the college, though she hadn’t gotten to do so as often since Eli was born. Bringing around one baby was fairly easy, but two - it didn’t help that Delia never liked sitting in the double stroller they’d bought for the two of them, that she wanted to run free and, more often than not, land herself in a pile of leaves or dirt or mud or take off her shirt or shoes because she decided she was ‘too hot’ and clothes were ‘too much’ for the day. According to Aline, Stella had been the exact same - I couldn’t keep you dressed for the life of me, especially when we were in Cuba she said the first time Stella had told her mother about it. 

But if Delia was a mini version of Stella, Eli was already a small version of Ilyas. Not only were their names paralleled, but the deeper tint of red than brown in his hair made him look more like his father than his mother, and his quieter nature and determination to be at Delia’s side at all costs, well, Stella definitely recognized that trait from her husband. 

“We’ll come visit you during your office hours soon,” she promised, though she knew Ilyas never meant to guilt her about it. “I miss seeing you at work. You’re so handsome when you’re focused like that - working on your sketches, building things with your mind even if you aren’t out in the field.” She would have supported him, had he decided to go into the practical side of his field, but he wanted a family as much as she did, and an architects hours were unreliable at best. “Besides, Eli hasn’t seen your office, and it’s Kartal family tradition for your children to vomit on that couch at least once,” she teased, reminding them both of when Delia had done just that - several times, in fact - when she was Eli’s age.

But there were more important things to discuss, and while they sat together for a little while it wasn’t long before Delia wandered off again, Ilyas following easily to push her in the swing before she abandoned him for the older kids she had been playing with before. Eli was fighting a nap he didn’t want but desperately needed, Stella stroking his hair as he laid lazily in the sun, her finger pressed to her mouth when her husband returned to sit with them again. 

“It’s too bad Ozan couldn’t join us today,” she broached, her voice quiet so as to not disturb Eli and his fluttering eyes. It was the easiest way to broach the subject - one she’d been giving him time to dwell over, one she’d been waiting patiently for him to come to terms with. “Delia loves having her uncle around, you know. I’m glad he could stay with us for awhile.” 

_._

Ilyas could feel his cheeks warming as Stella spoke about seeing him at work. He had loved having her around his office with Delia back then, joining the two things he dedicated his life to. He also wasn’t ashamed to admit he just liked showing his two girls off. What he hadn’t known is that she’d enjoyed coming to see him just as much as he enjoyed having them over. Even after more than a decade together, he’d never get used to her complimenting him. Buying himself a couple seconds to get over his sudden shyness, he leaned over, careful not to jostle their children, to press a quick peck to his lips. 

As if she’d sensed his loss of words, she redirected the conversation. He spared a thought of thankfulness to his wife always knowing he didn’t know how to take a compliment, before his eyes widened in fear. “Absolutely not. We are leaving this a Delia tradition. It was downright horrifying cleaning that thing.” he complained as he was forced to stand by said devil, who, at the mention of her name, had decided it was time to go to the swings. He turned to face her and with one last raised finger in warning at Stella, as if she could control their children’s puking tendencies, he allowed Delia to lead him to the swings.

It wasn’t long until Delia decided the older kids were cooler than her Baba, and, in a move he worried would become the norm in a couple of years, she sent him back to go ‘cuddle Mommy or something’. He raised an eyebrow at her retreating back, wondering who was teaching her such cheek, before making his way back to the blanket. The sight of a nearly asleep Eli brought a smile to his face as he settled in gently, making sure not to disturb his doze. He laid on his back, one hand supporting his head as his other hand gently curled around Eli’s ankle, thumb rubbing comforting circles on the baby soft skin. God, he loved Saturdays. 

He closed his eyes blissfully for a second, a soft smile spreading on his face, before the dulcet tones of his wife’s voice snapped him right back to reality. Stella was finally done with letting him avoid the subject of his brother, it seemed. He took a long breath, trying to scramble his lazy thoughts into something reasonable. “I’m not sure how much of a fan of picnics he is.” he stalled, trying to still preserve the bubble of contentedness he’d found some previous moments ago. “But it might save my lower back in the future from being Del’s preferred swing pusher. Might have to tell him to step up to it.” Ilyas knew he was not gonna get away with what was a bullshit answer, but his brother coming back hadn’t helped at all clear his own feelings about their relationship at all. He also felt like a damn hypocrite about it, with how much he advocated for talking things through, and here he was, avoiding his brother and the conversation like the plague. 

[ilyas-kartal]

ozan-kartal·:

~

Deciding to come to Iron River hadn’t been a complete spur of the moment decision the way Ozan had made it seem. He’d honestly spent a lot of sleepless nights wondering if he could even come and stand on his brother’s doorstep, if the other would even take him in. After all—there had been a lot said during the last time that they’d both been face to face, and alone. Ozan had a lot of pent up anger at how Ilyas seemed to have figured his life out and while somewhere deep down he knew his brother hadn’t intended for Ozan to feel left out of his plans—he still did. 

For Ozan, Ilyas had been his absolute idol growing up. His older brother was always there for everyone, he was always the one looking out for them when their parents weren’t around and all in all—Ozan would go so far as to say that Ilyas was his hero. And then…his hero began sorting out his own life and forgot about Ozan. At least that was always how it felt and perhaps that had started the resentment that he felt towards his big brother from the very beginning. 

When he’d shown up on Ilyas and Stella’s doorstep, he’d almost been sure that his brother would’ve said it was nice to see him and direct him towards one of the hotels or motels around town. But when Ozan expressed his need to stay with family—they’d made it work. 

Ozan knew he had to get out of here soon, not because he didn’t enjoy staying with Stella, and his niece and nephew but because he was beginning to think he wasn’t as welcome by his own flesh and blood. Ilyas barely said a few words to him and Ozan couldn’t even fault him for that because he himself seldom had a clue what he should say to his brother. But he had to be honest and say that this new time he was getting to spend with Stella, Delia and Eli was more than he expected. Sure he made sure to call for the kids birthdays and send presents from Atlanta but none of that made up for this time he was getting with them in person. 

When he managed to come home that evening, he pushed open the door, his shoes taken off at the rack before he made his way to the closet to hang his jacket. That’s when he heard his brother’s voice and took a moment to compose himself before he spoke as well, “Hi Ilyas,” he was surprised as to why his brother was greeting him this evening. But the realization soon set in. The house was becoming overcrowded now and Ozan had mentioned needing just a month of accommodation so maybe Ilyas wanted to know his tentative move-out date—something Ozan didn’t yet have. He ventured deeper into the house, forcing a half smile on his face before shrugging, “work was fine. The same old really. What about you? How were things today?” This was as awkward a conversation as any—and Ozan could hardly believe this was his big brother he was talking with in this manner. 

_._

Ilyas didn’t miss the way Ozan’s shoulders hunched in when he heard his voice, and something inside of him cracked at that. He hated seeing that his brother was so uneasy around him, but it also begged the question as to why he had ever come in the first place. 

He remembered with ease how a month ago he’d stood up after Stella had called him to the door, and edge on her voice he couldn’t decipher, to see his little brother standing there. He had frozen for a moment, completely in shock, before recovering and standing by Stella’s side, slipping an arm around her both as a habit and as a search for comfort. Ozan had given no explanations, had just said that he’d needed him, and Ilyas hadn’t even thought twice before making his decision, and looking at Stella for confirmation. He hadn’t pressed then, his brother had already seemed uncomfortable and downright defeated enough about having to ask, but he expected to know a bit more by now as to what had pushed Ozan to come.

The last time they’d spoken, Ozan had made sure to let him know how much of a disappointment as a big brother he’d been. How he’d abandoned the family, as if he didn’t have a right to leave and pursue his hard earned dreams. As if it was his duty to stay, and never leave. He’d been so hurt, and so angry by that.

His brother did have a point in saying he’d pulled away back then. The reminder of the precariousness of their childhood was sometimes too much for Ilyas, who was trying to rebuild his way to see the world, but the way he’d thrown it at him, as if he’d disappeared, as if he didn’t care anymore. He still felt the remains of that fury sometimes, at how could his brother ever think that he’d ever stop caring for all of them. 

Nonetheless, he shook his head, trying to dispel those thoughts from his brain. Something was wrong with Ozan, apart from the fact they still couldn’t talk to each other like the brothers they were, and Ilyas needed to stop worrying about how horrible it could be and actually know. 

“Long day. It’s exam week, and, yeah. Lot’s of things to correct, you know.” he waved his hand around, trying to see how to quit the already short small talk and get to the point at hand. “You know, I’m still not ready to go to bed, though. Care to join me for a drink?” the words came out rushed, and he hoped his brother wouldn’t catch the hint of insecurity in them, as if a small part of him feared Ozan would say no.

[ilyas-kartal]

catalinagoodwin·:

—

Mug to her lips, Cat arched a brow at him over the rim. “Be careful what you wish for, Ilyas,” she murmured after another greedy swallow. “I’m pretty sure things are about to get as messy as messed up gets.” 

A loop of last nights words and all that vodka joined efforts, working in tandem to inflict maximum damage on her head. God, she was such an idiot. For more reasons than one, but the fight with Dom and how much she drank as a result of it were two decent starts. 

Gracelessly, Cat slouched back into the embrace of the cushions. Her stare lowered to the black coffee in her hands. “I should probably eat something,” she surmised, “but then again maybe not. If it’s as good as you claim I might just jump ship and steal Stella for my wife.” A smile finally managed to break through on her lips, but its hint at amusement was short lived.

No matter how much she joked, Cat didn’t want Stella… and not just because she was tragically straight. She wanted her husband, their marriage, their family, their life—

“I used to think this would be us, you know.” A hand abandoned the life raft that was her coffee to listlessly gesture around. “Kids so close together everyone thought we must be insane. It’s why I insisted we buy such a big house right from the start. Once we had Seb, I wanted to fill every single room with siblings for him, and I never wanted to move. I wanted… I wanted our forever home, because I only ever saw forever with him.”

She wouldn’t elaborate on the details of what happened to alter her perspective - mostly out of respect for his friendship with Dom, but also because Stel had no doubt already filled him in. 

A glance at her phone showed it was just past ten. Late enough for the couple to catch up on things, but early enough to still slip home before her absence was noted by her husband or - heaven forbid - Seb. And yet she didn’t move. Cat just sat there and alternated between little sips and pensive stares into her coffee. 

“You know how sometimes you have this amazing dream, and when you wake up it crushes you because none of it was real? This is like the opposite,” she whispered after a moment of strained silence. “It’s waking up to a nightmare and being ripped apart because it’s real.” 

_._

Ilyas grimaced, cursing himself for his choice of words because she was right. This argument appeared to have been a game changer, but not a game ending one. “Sorry.” He apologised. “Bad joke.”

Regardless of what happened with them going forward, he was sure something had to change. This couldn’t keep dragging on, with them throwing snide comments at each other instead of actually talking until they all piled up and exploded like this. He’d been down that road before, almost nine years ago, and he knew the only way out was sitting down and talking. He knew his wife agreed, but he also knew of her fierce loyalty to Cat. He wondered if Stella’s need to protect her from any further pain would overrule what he knew Stella knew had saved their marriage. 

Then again, he had no clue what he was going to say to Dom whenever he saw him. He needed to go see the other man soon, just by watching the state Cat was in. For a moment, he resented Cat for leaving, for taking away Dom’s chance to get out and breathe, but he let that thought slip away. Cat had diffused the argument the only way she knew how, and he couldn’t really begrudge her for that. Not to mention Dom usually sought comfort from just being around Sebastian.

As he held this internal monologue, Cat bravely put on a shaky smile, which he commended her for, and declared her intentions to run into the sunset with Stella. “Careful now, Cat” he mimicked her previous warning, but with a soft smile on his face, keeping up the sporadic banter. “I might let you steal my vodka drinking partner, and my bed warmer, but if you steal my wife I might have to rescind access to our fridge, coffee and aspirin.” he mock-threatened, wagging a finger in admonition. 

He didn’t expect the smile to last long, but the depressing thoughts that followed from Cat made his chest feel heavy with sorrow. Truth is, he had shared those expectations of a family for them. Ilyas had never thought it would have been Stella and him with the second child before them, at the beginning at least. But as Stella and him had rebuilt little by little, Dom and Cat had started falling apart just as slowly.

 He pursed his lips, placing a comforting hand on Cat’s knee and squishing. “I can’t tell you that this is gonna get solved the way you want it to.” he said softly. “But it will pass. Things will get better, for you both. For Sebastian. And you will get through this. You are strong, Cat, and so is he. And however this plays out, just know we’ll always be here for whatever you need.” he didn’t think he was close enough to Cat to give her the advice Stella could, but he wanted her to know that he was just as invested in her happiness as his wife was. 

[ilyas-kartal]

travisxstrickland·:

~

He probably hadn’t been in town long enough to make the call, but he had to admit that it was growing on him. He’d taken a relatively big risk, buying a townhouse here, sight unseen, his only real knowledge of the town being what he knew from Spencer, but every single one of his decisions had been made by jumping in head first and hoping it all worked out. So far, he’d been pretty lucky that it had. 

Starting a band hadn’t been something he’d expected to do - it had just sort of happened, he and Dallas both looking for some kind of outlet that kept them from going stir crazy. In the end, that one day’s decision to start a band had been the choice that had decided the course of his entire life. He’d seen the world, met more people than he could have imagined, and done it all with his best friend right beside him. 

“That’s good information to have, I’ll make sure I keep an eye out for any elbows coming my way.” He grinned as he said it, eyes roving the market, before snapping back to his companion. “I guess I’m lucky that it was you I ran into and not one of them, I’d hate to start my town tenancy getting my ass kicked by an old lady.” 

_._

Ilyas just. Couldn’t. Place Him. He knew it was going to drive him up the wall all the way home, but he tried to act like a normal human being and not weird out the other man by just fixating on him. Still the thought kept running through his brain, even as he side stepped around the stranger when he heard the man behind the food stall call for the next customer. “Sorry - gotta grab the chance!” he quickly apologised, before quickly asking for some coriander. On a normal day, he’d have frowned at the price the owner gave him and tried to bargain for a lower price. Stella had already told him not to let the old man bully him, that he always sold higher prices to people he didn’t have clocked, but he decided today was not the day to create chaos, he’d leave that to his dear wife. 

After paying and spotting the cheeky smile of the seller, he sighed, turning around to face the newcomer. “Sorry again. Another tip, you should always try to get a better price than what they offer. They always rise it for people that don’t know their way around. I’m just too much of a ‘coward’ for it, as my wife likes to say.” he smiled self-deprecatingly. He moved away from the stand, checking the time to see if how long he had before lunch needed to be on its way. “So, you’ve just moved in, you said? I’m Ilyas, welcome to the town. How are you finding it?” 

[ilyas-kartal]

jalenjames·:

—

     Kids were easy to speak to, more so than adults; unless candy was involved, rarely was there an underlying agenda. He assumed it would be different if the child was his own, but fortunately, he didn’t have any to screw up in the mess he had created for himself. Instead, he took advantage of his friend’s kids and taught them to be terrors. This wasn’t going to be tainted by him though, no — She knew what she was doing, babbling on about Frozen before crossing her arms post-disagreeing with him. 

What could Jalen say? She was, clearly, the superior Frozen fan. He chuckled and took a swig from his mug, “Best discussion I’ve had in weeks, don’t you apologise.” JJ snorted, sticking an arm out as they introduced each other. “Nice to meet you, man. I’m Jalen, what’s the little one called?” He asked, giving her a smile.

_._

Ilyas smiled gratefully as Jalen didn’t seem to be bothered by Delia’s antics. He didn’t recognise the other man, which wasn’t necessarily strange, since the town was big enough, but he had been living in it for nearly ten years, so it was definitely something remarkable. “Nie to meet you man. I’m Ilyas. And this little rascal” he lowered his voice as he tickled Delia, making her laugh for a second before she whined to be left to drink her hot chocolate in peace. “is Delia. She’s three, which I guess explains the... strong opinions.” he had to watch his words, now, too, his daughter was too smart for her own good and had a considerable argumentative vein he was certain she got from her mother. He’d rather not get on her bad side this early in the day. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around. Are you knew in town?” he asked conversationally.

[ilyas-kartal]

austynjett·:

It wasn’t too often that Austyn found herself in the line picking up a to go order at Crafts. She wasn’t a ‘cook every meal every night at home’ and there were often times that her child thrived off of frozen pizza and French fries for dinner, just because that’s what worked for them that night. But standing in line here wasn’t something she did often; more occasions would happen where she was here with her son Lake who had insisted on going to after school baseball practice with his best friend’s mom. Sharing Lake was a new experience, but it was something she was willing to adapt to for her son to have a social life. 

With the bag in her hand, Austyn turned, only to overhear a father and who appeared to be his daughter talking at a table behind her. She’d been overhearing him talking to her for a bit, their conversation changing and growing more animated as he was clearly waiting out the time. It wasn’t until she was addressed directly though that she felt herself smile, looking at the little girl. “I love Frozen.” Austyn nodded in agreement, kneeling so that she was now a little more eye level with the child. “Do you like Olaf? He’s my favorite.” she beamed as she laughed and shook her head. “Though, my son would’ve probably disagreed. He likes Star Wars.” she laughed. “Do you make him watch Frozen with you all the time?” she joked, not wanting to refer to him as dad just in case.

_._

Ilyas watched how Delia frowned adorably at the mention of Star Wars. She was still a tad too young to see them, even if they were on his personal future watch list with her. Not that she knew yet. As the kind woman mentioned him, however, the question that he expected from Delia inquiring about the unknown movie dissolved, instead overtaken by a huge smile and rapid nods. “Yes!! Baba watches it with me on the weekend! And Mommy and I watch it eeevery lunch.” She stated proudly. Ilyas knew this to be an exaggeration, since Stella had told him with relief she’d managed to cut down the Frozen viewings to twice a week. However, he had the suspicion that this was only because Encanto was overtaking Frozen in Delia’s obsessiveness scale. 

“As you can definitely relate to, Mommy loves this very much.” Ilyas joked as he addressed the woman, who, as a mother, definitely knew the struggles of children’s hyper-fixations. After he managed to distract Stella with some crayons, and her cooled enough chocolate, he once again turned to the newcomer. “Thank you for distracting her, I definitely did not want to deal with a tantrum this early in the day. Can I compensate you in someway? Have you paid for that already?” he asked, pointing at the bag in her hand. 

[ilyas-kartal]

dominic-goodwin·:

**

The scoff that erupted from him was dry and bitter, not directed at Ilyas exactly, but more the entire goddamn world. “My wife just told me, in not so many words, that she wished she never married me. How do you think I’m handling it?” They’d had plenty of ugly fights before, but none so bad as this. A line had clearly been crossed this time, and he didn’t know how to come back from it. 

“I dunno man,” Dom sighed before knocking back more of his drink. The alcohol burned at the back of his throat, creating a more palatable reason for the stinging moisture in his eyes. “I think it’s over. I can’t keep fighting for someone who clearly doesn’t want to be there. And it’s like… it’s fucking whiplash. She gets mad at me for being frustrated that she’s gone, and she gets mad at me for making do when she is. Either way I lose. And Sebastian loses. And now?” 

Now she wanted to take it all back. Not just the bad, but all the good with it. The years they had spent together building a life — the holidays, the anniversaries, the Thursday night date nights, and every wonderfully mundane day in between. Gone. As though it meant nothing. He didn’t fight for so long and so hard just to become a regret. For whatever else their relationship had become, he deserved more than that. 

He shook his head, knowing if he said the words aloud now he’d burst out into tears. “I knew we were in trouble, but I never ever thought that she’d say that…” 

_._

Ilyas couldn’t stop his eyebrows from shooting up to his hairline. He already knew from Stella the words that had been thrown, but it was still hard to reconcile the certainty with which Dom stated Cat wanted nothing to do with him with the broken woman he’d seen on his couch, wistfully wishing her husband didn’t want to leave her, and not the other way around. Furthermore, even though this was the worst he had ever seen them, he knew, hoped, Cat wasn’t yearning for an out, but for a way back to how things used to be.  

Ilyas placed a hand on Dom’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, letting a moment of silence pass to allow Dom to collect himself for a moment. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the anguish he had to be going through, and the emotions were clearly overwhelming any kind of rational thought. Ilyas took a slow breath, pondering on how to best comfort his friend without hurting him even further. “Did she explicitly say she regretted her life with you? Sebastian? All the happiness I’ve seen you have together? Because she’s always been quick to say the first thing that runs through her brain when she gets angry, but you know, better than anyone, sometimes it’s not her words you gotta trust with her.” he spoke softly. Even if they had never gotten to this point, he’d already weathered nights in which Dom and Cat had fought, and something stupid had been said. But Dom had always known Cat often said shit she didn’t mean when angry. He just hoped he was right in saying this time was no different. 

What was different, however, was that maybe Dom did want to give up this time around, which was a sobering thought. Ilyas leaned back on his stool, unsure how to approach this. He wanted Cat to be happy (and by deference, Stella), and that seemed to be by staying with Dom, but after seeing the defeated man, tired from fighting the impossible, he wasn’t sure anymore as to whether encouraging him to keep hurting himself was the best thing for Dom. “Dom, you know you guys are like family to us. And you know that, regardless of what happens with you guys, you’ll always have a place in my place should you need it. “ he started easy, because he was about to start asking the hard questions. “But something needs to give, for both of your sakes. For Sebastian’s sake. You are not happy, and neither is she. And if that means you need to pull away, I’m with you every step of the way. But if you want to fight for this, you guys cannot keep going like this, with the unspoken elephants in the room that are Celeste and her job.” 

[agentoutofdiaz]

Sen Çal Kapımı rewatch 🠪 1.02

[i-usedtobe-normal]

[lovefrenchisbetter]

Le Corbusier Drawings

[shadowstairs]

Kerem Bürsin X Vogue Turkey 🖤

[ilyas-kartal]

catalinagoodwin·:

Fuck. Her. Life.

A dull, persistent ache knocked against Catalina’s brain like a demented battering ram. Her mouth felt like a mess of sandpaper and superglue, the taste of pennies and the threat of revisiting all that vodka on her tongue. If she wanted to crawl into a hole last night, the next morning all she wanted to do was stay there and die. 

“Probably about as well as I currently look,” She grumbled, only half of her miserable face poked out beneath the cover of blankets she’d burrowed herself in at some point throughout the night. She never meant to drink so much or to stay so late (honestly, she never meant to stay there at all) but Stella wisely took her keys away around two o’clock. 

Eventually, she’d have to get those back. Eventually, she’d have to go home. For now, she just needed that coffee Ilyas kept close enough to smell but out of spilling reach.

“You and your wife deserve some kind of medal. Remind me to order one later this week.” An edge of her mouth curved into some semblance of a smile, then dropped just as quickly. Even that tiny motion made her head hurt worse. She braced her hands against the couch and slowly pushed to sitting, eyes closed and body tense against the new waves of tortuous throbbing in her skull. 

“Thank you.” Still only managing what equated to a tight and bleary squint, she took the steaming mug from him and swallowed deep. The scalding path it carved down her throat didn’t bother her; Cat just kept drinking until half of it was gone. “I hope— I didn’t wake you up last night, did I?”

Ilyas moved a comforting hand to her back as Cat very carefully began to sit up, ready to assist if she needed help. When she deemed herself stable enough to let go of the armrest, he handed her the coffee, choosing not to comment on the still shaky fingers, which he had no doubt are remnants of her dalliance with Vodka. He can’t even imagine how much her temples must be thundering at her. 

At the mention of her looks, he did a quick once-over, and while her hair was a bird’s nest, the shadows under her eyes made her look like she’d gotten into a fight and lost, and the crease left from the sofa gave her cheek a weird mark, he could still see the beautiful woman he knew her to be. “Oh come on, Cat. I’m way too used to your not-a-hair-out-of-place boss lady look. Let us mortals see you a bit messed up every once in a while.” he gently teased her, trying to stop her from having to feel guilty about this. He’d come to know her over the years, and he knew how much she loathed letting people not see her at her best, having her pain on display. He knew she’d had a horrible night, the least he could do was make sure the morning was as easy on her as possible. 

Her attempt of a joke got rewarded with a soft laugh from him as he moved from his crouched position to sit by the side of the couch, his knees creaking in protest. He made a face at it, a reminder he wasn’t twenty any more, before replying to her. “If you wanna give us medals for this, wait till I tell you we restocked our aspirin last week, and Stella made a delicious chicken broth for Eli, since he was fussy because of his ears, and there’s still some leftovers in the fridge.” he whispered, waggling his eyebrows. 

And there it was, the quiet question about waking him up. He was so glad she did, because the alternative of her not having Stella to come to was something he’d rather not consider. The two were such a pillar of strength to each other, it was a given to him their doors would always be open to her, as well as for Dom, if now might not be the time to have them both together. “Don’t even worry about it. I have two children under four. Either I learn how to wake up and fall asleep fast, or they eat me up alive.” he was not being entirely truthful- he’d always had trouble sleeping, but since having kids exhaustion usually did the job. Now, with his brother around, more thoughts meant he took much longer to sleep, but that did mean that if he woke up in the middle of the night, falling asleep instantly usually happened. 

[ilyas-kartal]

rainamirza·:

Raina was smiling at how adorable little Delia was and how happy of a child she was which honestly was reminiscent of Raina’s own childhood when she was her age. Of course being around children often reignited that ache in Raina of wanting her own family, her own child one day and given how there was nothing on any horizon for her in terms for that–she was constantly searching for different alternatives and it was really always in the back of her mind. For now though she pushed it back wanting to give her full attention to Delia and Ilyas. 

“Oh wow, I can’t even imagine…but I do see how she’s thankful for that,” she giggled softly at how Delia reacted at her father’s comment. “But I think that’s usually the case with siblings, isn’t it? The first is either the calmer one or the more feisty one while the other is opposite? I know my brother and I are full opposites, but you’ll have to guess which one you think I am.” She chuckled softly before looking up when he asked if Stella and her had a gossip session.

“We have met up, but it wasn’t for nearly as long as it should’ve been,” Raina admitted with a laugh, “ but then–when are gossip sessions ever long enough?” She took a sip of the coffee that was delivered to the table and smiled, “except I know for a fact that she probably still enjoys telling you things. I mean–isn’t that what a husband is for? The one person you can tell everything to? Or am I incorrect in assuming that?”

Ilyas spotted the quiet yearning in Raina’s eyes as she looked at Delia, and while he was no mind reader, it wasn’t hard to figure out the emotion behind it. He truly felt for her; his children were such an integral part of his life, and even if with Eli they had struggled, Delia hadn’t exactly been planned. He’d never had to know that deep rooted want for a family before he actually had one. He hoped that, whichever way she chose, Raina got to have the family she wanted. She was a kind woman, she deserved it. For now, he enjoyed the way she smiled and interacted with his daughter, confident she’d get to where she wanted to be. 

The mention of siblings had a double effect for Ilyas. He loved them all, fiercely, and they were all the shinning beacon in his not so shinny childhood, but with Ozan moving in, he was conflicted lately about how much of a good job he’d actually done with all of them. His relationship with his sisters was great, but his brother was a different story. “There’s four of us in my family, so at some point you run out of opposites and start being too much alike.” he joked, trying to lighten his thoughts again. “I do know, though, my sister Zehra runs the show, so based on the women in my family, wife included, I’m gonna put you down as the feisty one, if only to be on the safe side.” he joked. 

Remembering a particularly memorable occasion in which the recap needed for the new piece of gossip Stella had acquired run for twenty minutes, Ilyas moved his head from side to side, considerating. “I’m fairly sure if the recap is longer than the new piece of gossip, it’s way too long. That said, it’s not like I’m ever gonna tell her to stop. Between you and me, seeing her get frustrated with my ability to keep up with everyone is one of the highlights of my day.” he whispered conspiratorially, a cheeky grin on his face. Right after, his smile turned fond as he pictured the way Stella’s eyes lit up whenever she told him the latest scoop, arms gesturing wildly as if they couldn’t contain her excitement to share it with him. “In all honesty, though, it makes me feel glad that, even if I’m a terrible gossip partner, she still chooses to do it with me, you know?” he felt his cheeks heat up a bit, realising the corniness of his words, but he figured if someone was allowed to be corny, it should be him about Stella. 

[ilyas-kartal]

travisxstrickland·:

open starter  location: farmers market

If he was being honest, he was here for entertainment more than actual shopping. His cooking skills, ones that had been slightly underdeveloped to begin with, had quickly rusted over in all of the time he spent on the road. He wasn’t quite sure he could put together a meal without being in slight danger of burning his new townhouse to the ground. In the interest of keeping his housing in one piece and burn free, he would leave the cooking to the professionals, and pick up some snacks. 

Sipping on fresh juice from a stand at the front of the market, he didn’t realize he was standing in their way until he saw them in his periphery. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry, I’m totally in your way. Should’ve just shoved me, I wouldn’t have minded.” 

Ilyas had been sent on a last minute errand run to get some fresh coriander for Stella’s moqueca dish. Looking at the time, he’d nonchalantly suggested maybe changing plans, but the look he’d received in reply had swiftly sent him for his shoes. He’s been married to her for nearly ten years now, he should now better than to get between her and her cooking, especially if there was seafood involved. 

Which left him were he was, trying to peek around another man’s frame to see what the prices were for the sought for herb, when the other man finally took notice of him and turned around, apologising. Ilyas didn’t listen to carefully, however, frowning for a second before shaking himself off it. He could swear he knew that man, but he just...couldn’t...place it.

“Don’t worry about it.” he replied bashfully, realising he’d been quiet a second too long. “I try not to make a habit of starting brawls in the market. The old ladies that come her every day are terrifying adversaries, I’ve learned my ribs are safer from their pointy elbows if I just wait until they move, as long as it might take.” he recovered, opting for a joke while his brain still tried to clock in the other man. 

[ilyas-kartal]

closed starter for @ozan-kartal

Ilyas had just put Eli down for the night while Stella was busy with Delia’s bath,  the only thing keeping him company in the living room being the distant sounds of his girls’ laughter and the sloshing of water. He sat down with a tired sigh, picking up the newspaper left on the coffee table and leaning back on the plush sofa, feeling his muscles relax. It had been a long day of grading projects, and his lower back was absolutely hammered. He’d even had to cancel his plans to go to the swimming pool with Ben, which in retrospect was not what his body had needed, but he had to finish grading and he still wanted to be home in time to put his kids to bed so something had to give.

As he did a quick scan of the room, still lost in thought over the heavy day, his gaze settled on the shoe rack by the door, which now contained more shoes than he was used to seeing. He’d been avoiding the topic even in confines of hi mind for three weeks, but now, alone and with no distractions, he was forced to acknowledge the newfound presence of his younger brother in his life, in his house.

Try as he might, he really cannot sort out his feelings on the matter. From resentment and guilt at how they left things, to the underlying current of worry whenever his brother called, twice a year at most, and Ilyas knew Ozan lied when he said he was fine, to this weird tension that had settled since Ozan had started staying with them. He didn’t know how to talk to his own brother, this man whom as a child he’d have told anything, who as a teenager was his most trusted confidant, and who, after Ilyas moved away from home, never forgave him from it. 

He’d eventually have to learn, for the sake of his sleeping schedule, which was already screwed as is, as well as for his shins, which Stella had taken the habit of bashing under the kitchen table on the few occasions Ozan joined them for dinner and Ilyas failed spectacularly at making normal conversation with him. She had every right, though. She had always protected the sanctity of their home as a place to feel safe in, and Ilyas not talking things through with Ozan only helped in making him feel as if he was leaving something unfinished, as if something felt off everywhere he went and he couldn’t put a finger on it. 

As if summoned by his own musings, Ilyas heard the door open, and a pit of dread settled in his stomach. A part of him wanted to swiftly stand and go to the bathroom, claim Stella might have called him to help with Del, but he forced himself to remain rooted to the spot. Time to face the music. “Hey, Ozan.” lame, he cursed himself, internally cringing at how awkward, how uncertain it sounded. Needing to say more, he hastily added, “How was your day at work?”