Leyla Yılmaz

"Some things are not forgivable. Deliberate cruelty is not forgivable. It is the most unforgiveable thing in my opinion, and the one thing in which I have never, ever been guilty."

[felixrodriguez]

"Give me one moment."

Félix returned with the drinks, setting the gin and tonic in front of Leyla and keeping the Scotch for himself.

"Relax, you're safe from that speech for another couple months. Though, I have to admit the fact that you're also giving a speech at the wedding terrifies me. I don't think I want to know what stories you know or have cooked up from that." He leaned back in his seat and sipped at his drink. "I suppose I should have expected to end up surrounded by people who can easily disappear me when I went into politics."

Félix held up his drink towards her. "To finding our people."

[leylayilmazx]

"Thank you." The drink was highly appreciated, though it wasn't her first nor was it going to be her last.

"Well, as a maid of honour what else do you expect?" She laughed, happily. Hearing the news from Yvonne was really heartwarming. Though not that she expected anything else - if Jess took that title, she'd have faught her for it anyway. "Please, don't you know your wife?" Leyla grinned.

"It's London, Félix - I don't think many people can escape it." It was the simple truth. "To happiness." She countered.

[yvonne-rutherford]

"Pinky swear. We will be absolutely blasted by the time Ayaz fights and you won't even be able to stand up without falling over, let alone try to live out your Katniss Everdeen moment." Yvonne held out her hand with her pinky outstretched towards Leyla. "Okay, so Félix will just babysit both of our drunk asses while Laurent has his fun. Problem solved." She chuckled shamelessly. Félix could roll his eyes at her all he wanted he was still the one who put a ring on it. He knew full well what he was signing up to deal with.

"At least you're never going to have to worry about his confidence or self esteem as he grows up. Our kids really are going to aim for world domination, aren't they?"

[leylayilmazx]

"Ah, now that's something I can definitely get behind." Though she had to trust her cousin, right? But it wasn't as if there was some kind of meter where it could show strength vs strength. That was Jumanji, most likely, not London Underground. "Let's hope the worst won't come to worst or there will be too many of us to carry out." She grinned, yet she absolutely did not want to give Lara any kind of satisfaction regarding anything at all.

"Ah. I think it's just going to be Generation two of whatever people are doing here. Don't know what to expect, but I hope to be tucked safely away with rose-coloured glasses, because my son will do no wrong in my eyes. An absolute angel."

[erdogan-nevra]

Time: Post female fights/Pre men fights

@leylayilmazx

"Where have you been all my life?" That's what it felt like at least, not having seen her friend in god knows how long. It was another friendship which she had neglected out of selfishness and isolation and it pained her.

Nevra kept her arms tightly wrapped around Leyla's frame, dragging her into a nearby booth. It was easy to whisper into her ear with such close proximity. "I'm sorry I've been a horrible friend this past year. Forgive me?" Nevra's hand shot out to stop a passing tray of drinks and grabbed two, pressing one into Leyla's hand. "A gift."

[leylayilmazx]

"Nev!"

Leyla wrapped her arms around her friend, holding onto her just a little longer before letting go. It had been a minute since she'd seen her and the fight in the ring definitely did not count.

At the very least, she seemed to be okay, and it was nowhere as bloody as some of the other female fights were. "I've been sending you pigeons, yet all of them went unanswered!" She joked.

Sitting down, Leyla scooted so she could be closer to her. "I don't think you've been bad at all. Stop it." Nevra went through a lot, she lost B... Him, too. So Leyla never blamed Nevra, not even for a second. What she did instead was just send messaged to her, deliver things to her house. The fact that she read the messaged and accepted whatever deliveries at her door, to her, meant her friend was alive.

Nevra knew exactly where she'd be whenever she was ready.

"Though drinks I am definitely down for. You did real good in the fight. I'm happy it was more hot than a first seat cinema viewing of hostel." A gruesome, disgusting film.

[felixrodriguez]

"I can do drinks. What's your poison?"

Félix chuckled returned Yvonne's heart with a sigh when she made no move to drop it until he did. "I could say a million cheesy things about her. She really is my best friend and other half. Even when she's making me feel my age."

And that was a sore spot. Good to know. "And you don't have to tell me any of it. For what it's worth, you do seem happy when you're talking about him."

[leylayilmazx]

"G&T. Always." There was a moment where she thought about an espresso martini, but she wasn't sure she wanted to be too awake.

"Oh, my God. Are you going to go into your wedding speech again? That was so sweet, by the way. I truly believe you're everything that Yvonne has ever wanted. As her best friend, the only thing I can say is thank you - over and over again. Probably for years to come. Unless you hurt her, then I will cut you." She smiled sweetly and meant every word.

"I won't." Because it was the past and no matter what was said that day, it was a great day, because it was when he woke up. "Please, I am happy. And it's not me trying to convince you or anyone. He's the man for me and yadda yadda yadda."

[yvonne-rutherford]

Leyla had the right idea. Yvonne also gestured for another drink and reached out to squeeze Leyla's hand. "They'll be okay. And we'll just make sure we're blackout drunk by the time they're fighting. Félix and Laurent can be the responsible ones and babysit our drunk asses." It wasn’t the first time and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Though, Laurent seemed more likely to need a babysitter than be one himself.

"Does he get mad when they can't understand him? Maddie will stomp her foot whenever she pulls out Spanish in front of non-speakers. Or me if I take too long translating."

[leylayilmazx]

"Promise?" Because that was the one thing she had going for her. Unlike some, she never really got into drugs, nor she was planning to (though no judgement to others), so alcohol was her thing of coping. "Because when it's Ayaz' turn, I swear I'm going to need someone to hold my hand, otherwise I'll be fucking screaming for them to stop the games. Or if I'm way too drunk, I'm going to go all hunger games and volunteer as tribute. And we both know the minute I'd step in that ring, I'd be dead by a single blow." She laughed, because she was still able to, but that was a very possible scenario. "Umm, Félix might babysit you, but I don't want Laurent to babysit me. It's his fun night. He's already not participating, and he loves it so much. I don't want to make him miss out on his 'fun'." She air quoted that because this definitely was not how she described fun. Though she understood it on a level. Leyla imagined it was a little like her love for her adrenaline enticing things - it was dangerous, but that was where the thrill came from.

"No... Ant will stare at them, with the expectation to understand. It's like he knows he can try to express himself in some other way, however he will wait for the others to make the effort. Very French of him."

[felixrodriguez]

"You really couldn't let me be delusional for five minutes, could you?" He would groan and roll his eyes and pretend to glare, but they all knew it would just be a front. As long as Yvonne was smiling and laughing, he was happy.

"It is far too early to already be thinking about Halloween costumes. Just wait, Antoine's at the age where his costume choice will change every hour, on the hour. Maddie's already changed her mind from Moana to Cinderella, and back to Moana." His own gaze settled on Yvonne for a moment and his heart beat almost clear out of his chest as they locked eyes across the room and she held up her hands in a heart. "Funny how quickly someone can fille a hole you didn't know existed."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "I would say the right name is the bare minimum. You don't want him pulling a Ross at the altar."

[leylayilmazx]

"Nope."

Then, she held up her hand and waved it in front of him. "Okay, let's not bring our children into this while there's people getting battered in the ring. And then add Halloween and it's... My worst nightmare?" But she was laughing as she said it. "Let's just have a drink instead." Because a drink was better than having a wild imagination..

"You guys are so cute. It's sickening." Leyla laughed. "It's like when you were married and now it's still the same. It's really adorable, you know." Because they really were. "Yvonne does that."

At his reaction, the surgeon winced. "Sorry, guess you don't know everything. But yeah, no Ross thing at the wedding. Though you know what? At this point, I think I would marry him anyway. If that were ever to happen, and mind you I don't believe it will, I'd marry him anyway. Blame it on the battle PTSD or something."

[yvonne-rutherford]

"He can certainly hold his own. I think his and Vinnie's fight will be one to watch." Maybe she was biased, considering Óscar was her bodyguard but that wouldn’t be a floor cleaning the way some of the other fights of the night would be.

"Jess and Félix use Spanish to conspire all the time. Though, it is hilarious to watch them bicker about whose Spanish is the "right" Spanish. I'm starting to catch on, but I still miss twenty-five percent of the words they're saying. Maddie's started mixing English and Spanish all the time and I'm pretty sure Félix has a bet on if Isabel's first words will be English or Spanish."

[leylayilmazx]

"That's good." And then she sighed. "I've got too many people on that damn list to watch. Like sure I have the one person who isn't fighting, but then my cousin? Who is fighting a friend? That's family. Jean just got dragged off the stage. Varden and Oli? Giorgio? Oliver? I only half blame Laurent because he introduced me to them. The other part of it is myself for liking them. So I hope for your and my sanity, or hope, that Óscar does a good job." Now that she said it out loud, she knew the night had just began. To that, Leyla downed her drink and motioned for another one.

If she had to watch it, at least she was going to do it drunk.

"That's good. You're really getting the hang of it. And it's good for the babies, too. Though as a proud mom, I can happily say that Ant throws himself between three languages and I know it confuses people at daycare."

[yvonne-rutherford]

"Silly me. I shouldn't be so worried here in the safest place in London." Though the Frenchman who had to be carried out of the ring disproved that sentence. "I think his fight is coming up soon so he'll be focused on that for a while."

It wasn’t hard to imagine her husband's scowl even as he sat engrossed in conversation with Spencer. "I think he thinks you're a pest. But it's fine, he's used to this. He has three little sisters after all. Four if you count Jess."

[leylayilmazx]

"Ah, now you get it." Had the fights always been so brutal? The Russian they were watching before really seemed to think poor Jean was a plaything.

Leyla made a mental note to go check on him after hanging out with Yvonne. "He's fighting Vinnie, no?" Giorgio had shared a bit of his life with his best friend, so she knew the Italian was... Well one for a good fight. "How's Óscar and fighting? Since he's your bodyguard, he must be quite something, right?" Because Andrew Rutherford wouldn't just put anyone to keep Yvonne safe.

"I've been called worse." The woman shrugged. "I might be worse than Jess though, that's true. Though I don't know what she does when they both speak in Spanish. I feel utterly left out when you lot do that. My french only does little to help understand."

[yvonne-rutherford]

Yvonne nearly jumped a mile out of her skin until she realized the person grabbing her arm was just Leyla.

"Sorry, I'm still a little paranoid. Besides, Óscar keeps giving me looks if I so much as wiggle in my seat." A shit-eating grin spread across her lips and she leaned in conspiratorially to Leyla. "I don't humbly request that you wait to break out 'Lixie' in front of Félix until I'm there and have my camera ready to go. His face is going to be a work of art when he hears that."

[leylayilmazx]

"Paranoid? Here? Where the most notorious killers and psychopaths are gathered? You crazy?" Leyla giggled. "Óscar is doing a fine job, then. But I hope he knows you're fine with me." OR at least he should. Leyla was pretty sure she had someone watching over her at all times. At least that's what her partner made her believe. It helped that since she was friends with more French people... They had that aura around them that screamed touch my tailored suit and you die. "He should take a break."

Another light chuckle left her. "Don't worry, I've been coming up with a few extra today. Gotta be quick - as right now I think he believes I don't actually remember his name."

[yvonne-rutherford]

@mobscene-starters Event: Fight Club April 4, 2025

One drink in and the atmosphere was starting to feel lighter. Marginally, at least. Yvonne still sat at a table deep within the Rutherford section with Óscar sitting no farther than a hare's breath away. But, at least her heart wasn't threatening to beat straight out of her chest.

The drink in her hand was fruity, strong, and almost empty. She glanced down at it and looked back up as someone approached her table. "You know, I think I need another one of these....whatever it is. As loathe as I am to compliment Lara on anything, but her bartenders definitely know their stuff."

[leylayilmazx]

The Rutherford area was not a place Leyla wanted to be. No matter who she knew, there was always going to be that one person she would always avoid. So when she saw Yvonne standing up, Leyla quickly made way, hooking her arm through her friends and rushing them away towards the bar.

This way, they could get away from the table and the fights.

"I seriously thought you weren't ever going to leave. Even Lixie is moving around more than you. What the fuck."

[felixrodriguez]

His eyes rolled even harder, hard as that was to believe. But still, he raised his glass in return. "Never. One of these days I will get you to use my actual name, Leyla. Preferably before my wife decides to pick up this little habit of yours." Hell would freeze over before that happened, but a man could dream.

"No, but you have to admit, the visual is amusing." Leyla he could easily see in a pottery class. Maybe more Mommy and Me these days, but it was believable. Laurent on the other hand.... He sipped at his drink, a somber expression settling over his features. "Relationships are forged in fire. If the base is strong then the pressure only strengthens the bond. If it's not, it will crack and break under the strain. Believe me, I've lived through both. But, I am truly happy you've found the first in your life. When is the wedding, again?"

[leylayilmazx]

"Keep on dreaming. And Yvonne will pick it up, just when she will need it most. You'll see." She knew Yvonne for a long time already and was fortunate enough to see her grow from someone who was in a shell to entirely her own person. A part of it was Félix, absolutely, but mostly it was Yvonne herself.

"Maybe it's an idea for him to dress up as Patrick Swayze for next Halloween." Though she had a feeling, it would become a sort of couple's costume... No, not with her, with Spencer. One from ghost one from dirty dancing? Yeah, Alexis was definitely getting a call later. "You and me both on that one." Her eyes found Laurent in the crowd and just the visual of him laughing and doing his own thing, be it threatening or something else, made her smile. "He's one of the most important people in my life." Him and Ant, of course.

"We don't really have the date yet. Right now, I'm just happy to have things as they are. It wasn't too long where I thought he wasn't ever going to wake up." She still had nightmares of that night. It was only reaching out to see he was beside her that calmed her. "Kind of want to make sure enough time passes, so when it's his turn to say 'I do', he actually says my name."

[laurent--stpierre]

@leylayilmazx Event: Fight Club - during the fights.

The only thing worse than getting pummelled in the ring—not that he'd endured much of that, mind you—was not being able to fight at all. Watching his friends take their wins and their losses, blood shed and blood drawn, left him feeling more helpless and useless than he had done since being confined to the hospital bed.

Just about the only thing keeping him from clawing his own fucking skin off as he sat bolted to his seat was her. Well, that and the weed.

"Still love me, even though I'm too tragic to fight?"

[leylayilmazx]

The fight was actually fucking brutal. Jean was really getting his ass handed to him, and Leyla was watching it all. She told herself she would, because she was here to support the people she had come to care about. Even if their way of fun was very... Questionable. However, even as she watched, Leyla couldn't keep her face expressionless. There was disgust, there was frowning, horrifying grimaces and all that. She just simply allowed her face to be full on subtitle mode while sipping on her drinks.

Thankfully, this time Laurent was by her side and she didn't need to worry if he was going to come back all in one piece. At least not today.

Turning her head towards him, she gently brushed a strand of hair from his face and pressed her lips together. "Hmm... I don't know..." She pretended to be fully lost in thought. "It's hard to be seen with you, knowing that you got scared because Benjamin Vox was coming to the ring." She clicked her tongue and shook her head as if disappointed. "What a loser." She was definitely teasing him. Though it helped because she could swear there was a crack of something as the men fought.

Then, Leyla quickly leaned into his ear and whispered. "Tell me, how badly you want to be in that ring right now?"

[felixrodriguez]

Félix scrunched his nose and rolled his eyes at her use of the nickname. "I suppose that reminding you that's not my name will do nothing to deter this." He wiggled his finger for emphasis. Though, it wasn't the first time Leyla pulled out such a nickname and he had doubts that it would be the last.

"Maybe it's time to find a different hobby. Something the two of you could do together, perhaps? Perhaps that would reduce the chances of any resentment."

[leylayilmazx]

His reaction made Leyla only grin wider. Of course, she knew he wasn't the kind of man for nicknames, yet every time Leyla came up with something knew he had a reaction. A new reaction each time. "Don't tell me you actually prefer when I call you Fefe?" With that, she raised her glass at him.

His response made Leyla giggle. "Come on. Do you really see us in a pottery class? Get a little ghost action?" She grinned once more. "But on the more serious side - we're fine as we are. It's the whole thing of love conquers all, no? It's the same for you and Yvonne. You both went through hell of a lot to be where you are now. So did me and Laurent. We may not have met the most conventional way, or had the easiest path, but it is entirely our own. Which I love. Hence I'm wearing this." She waved her hand with the engagement ring.

[val-dautremer]

Time: Post 1st Fight

Valérie might have hated Lara's sick event each time it reared it's head but that didn't mean she wasn't going to come and support those she loved. Still, she never looked forward to the yearly anxiety attack it brought on.

If only she took drugs like the rest of them. A habit Val had never developed and very rarely wondered what life would be like if she had. It certainly would have made nights like these easier though.

Nestled into a booth, the Commandant nursed her drink, feeling it slowly warm in her hand. She'd need a new one soon. A shadow fell over her just as she contemplated heading to the bar.

"Join me for another? This one's gone warm."

@mobscene-starters

[leylayilmazx]

"Yes, please."

Leyla placed her glass as she scooted in beside the woman. Val, if she remembered correctly. She knew who she was, who she was married to, but they never really had the opportunity to talk. Leyla just knew that the woman was highly regarded within the French men.... Rank?

"I was going to see my friend, but they didn't let me. I guess they need some time or something." Watching Nevra fight was fucking nerve wrecking. Though Leyla tried not to close her eyes, that was what support was, right? When someone you love was doing something they cared to do.... Was it horrible that she thought the female fights wouldn't be so horrible? Maybe she was naïve.

More likely.

"Think it's going to get worse or better?"

[felixrodriguez]

"I don't know why. According to Yvonne, my bark is worse than my bite. But, we all know she's a biased source." He offered Leyla a wry smile. He knew exactly why Vox was so hesitant every time he stopped in his office and he had no intentions of ever dissuading the man from those feelings.

"That has to of some relief to you. That he's not fighting this time around." With the stories he'd heard about years past... If these men wanted to put their bodies on the line for sport, then so be it. But, even if he was twenty years young, Félix would not be one of them.

[leylayilmazx]

"I've met you and your family, Lix. Yvonne isn't biased on this one. Other things? Quite possibly, however, not in this case." She grinned this time at him - widely. Over time, Leyla really warmed up to him and he became an extension of Yvonne. She cared for them both. Especially since he made her best friend happy. That was just an added bonus.

"For me? Yes." She'd seen Laurent in enough blood to last lifetimes and that wasn't even the end of it. So for her, the fact that he wasn't fighting? Was a really big gesture which she was grateful for. "But it is also something he enjoyed. I just hope we don't become one of those couples where they start to resent each other. Stopping things they like doing and all." Fighting wasn't piano lessons, but to her partner, it had always been a part of his life.

[felixrodriguez]

Félix chuckled with a shake of his head. "I've never met this Étienne before, but I have met Benjamin Vox. Considering he looks like he wants to shit himself every time Melissa Lin sends him on an errand to my office, my expectations are not high." Though, surely Vox knew what he was getting himself into by fighting.

"You don't seem too impressed with all of this."

[leylayilmazx]

"Ah, is that so?" Lara had showed many times her ability to create matches based on her moods. Apparently this was no different, not that she expected it to be so. "Well, the only thing I won't be doing is betting - so, whatever will be - will be." Leyla shrugged and offered Félix a smile.

"Can't say it will ever be my favourite place, but Laurent loves it. This is the first year he isn't competing, so I'm here to at least support him and his... Passion?"

[felixrodriguez]

@mobscene-starters Event: Fight Club 2025 -Pre Fights

Félix glanced around the room, his fingers tight around his drink.For all he tried to keep some distance between the true nature of the Rutherford family business and himself, even he wasn't above placing a bet or two on sport. Maybe not sport this bloody, but when in Rome.

"What's the over/under that Vox walks out of that ring with his spleen intact?" Judging from the look of his opponent, not good.

[leylayilmazx]

Leyla had debated whether to go or stay at home. These kind of events meant that something was bound to happen (even with all the rules in place). A pretty vicious thing to see happen. But... There was a part of her, which obviously won, that wanted to see Svetlana being beaten up. Now Leyla had never been a violent person, but wasn't she allowed at least an exception? This once?

"It's... Well, I don't think Étienne will be happy with the match up." Having gotten to know the man over the past few years, she was certain he wasn't going to like the fact that he was paired so unevenly. "It will just be another bloody show. Isn't this what it is? A place to work on pent up anger without needing to..." She trailed off, not wanting to further her comment.