throw me a lifeline.

BMD + MT + SD ❝ is there someone out there to throw me down a lifeline? sending a prayer out into the night, tell me, am i doing this right? i could use a little bit of help from the outside ...

[oflifelincs]

oflifelincs. dependent multi-muse blog for bloodngloryhq.

― BLAIR MADDOX DAVIES ( rebecca rittenhouse ) › thirty-one. cleaner for kurtlar. pharmacist. the miss belle of the bayou 2012 and don't you forget it.

introduction • interactions • inspo • visuals • pinterest

― MACKENZIE TAYLOR ( madelyn cline ) › thirty. forensic crime scene technician for the lapd. caffeine addicted dirty civilian who doesn't trust you and has no plans to try.

introduction • interactions • inspo • visuals • pinterest

― SAMIYE 'SAMI' DEMIRCI ( melisa asli pamuk ) › thirty-four. cam girl with the network. taking back her sexuality one subscriber at a time.

introduction • interactions • inspo • visuals • pinterest

[oflifelincs]

WHO: blair + @aslansoykan WHERE: His Place

After Arden's death and Kerem's directive, Blair found herself a bit lost. One of her strongest ties to Kurtlar was now gone, taken in the blink of an eye, and with her death came another kind of loss as well— she wasn't allowed to see or speak to a good portion of her support system, which seemed to only amplify her grief. She did her best not to show it, though. She knew Pierre's focus needed to be on Zeina and she wanted the woman she considered her sister to have the unwavering support she knew she needed, but she also didn't want to bother any of the members of Kurtlar with her feelings because she didn't want to detract from their ability to find Arden's murder and in truth, she wasn't sure if anyone else would understand her hesitance to follow orders.

And yet, she was tired of being holed up in her apartment, avoiding everyone except Gracie and Francis. She knew the energy it would take to firmly put her 'I'm okay' mask back on would probably drain her, but she still found herself standing at Aslan's door with apple pie and vanilla ice cream in her hands. After a brief moment of hesitation, she reached out and rang the doorbell. A smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes when he opened the door. "Hi. How do you feel about some apple pie... and company?" She asked with a quiet chuckle. "I also have vanilla ice cream in case the pie and my dazzling personality weren't enough incentive."

[oflifelincs]

WHO: blair + @dadivosos ( francis ) WHERE: Blair & Gracie's

For once there wasn't a bunch of candy wrappers scattered around Blair as she sat on the couch, bundled up in a plush, oversized blanket as she had one hand stroking Mushroom's side as he lay next to her and the other scratching behind Steven's ear as he lay in her lap. Binx was on the couch behind her head and for the first time in what felt like forever (but was really only a week or so), Blair felt content— even with her red rimmed eyes and messy blonde hair.

Though that contentment was quickly ruined when there was a knock at the door that sent the animals scrambling. Mushroom took off towards the door while barking and the cats both leapt to their feet and took off for Blair's bedroom. With a sigh, Blair momentarily debated on ignoring whoever was on the other side— the tv was down low enough that whoever it was wouldn't be able to hear it and she wasn't really in the mood to pretend to be okay. But when she pulled up the camera she'd recently had installed with Pierre's help on her phone, another sigh left her lips. Francis wouldn't go away even if she ignored him, so she might as well get up and face the music.

Rising from the couch but keeping the blanket wrapped around her, Blair ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to look more presentable and wiped the remnants of tears from her face before sucking in a deep breath, plastering a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes before opening the door. "Are you here to complain about my couch some more?" She asked, hoping the teasing tone would mask any of the lingering sadness she couldn't quite erase from her features.

[oflifelincs]

WHO: blair + @brckenways ( kerem ) WHERE: Kerem's Place

No one was surprised when things went sideways at the engagement party, however Blair and all of Kurtlar were surprised when they came out on the losing side once again with Arden and the others' deaths. And while any death was sad, at least in Blair's eyes, Arden's was heart wrenching. Blair had been through a lot in her life, but she hadn't experienced a lot of loss. She was lucky in that respect, she knew, but with the inexperience came big emotions she wasn't quite sure how to handle. Grief was practically a stranger to the blonde and with it's sudden appearance she was doing her best to hold her sorrow at bay.

It worked most days— she could pretend to be at least a fraction of her usually vivacious self so as to fend of suspicion and keep the focus on those she knew needed it more. Zeina needed her brother and everyone else needed to focus on finding who did this to Arden and making them pay. This she knew. So she kept it all inside, only allowing her emotions to overtake her when she was alone or with Gracie. Which turned out to be a dangerous precedent, as her empty apartment only brought melancholy so she'd come over to Kerem's to find solace in his company. Except he wasn't there when she walked in and she instead found herself wrapped up in his comforter, a wave of grief dragging her under.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been there, sobbing at the loss of one of her closest friends, letting out the emotions she'd kept bottled in an attempt to ensure the focus of those around her didn't get pulled from what was really important; but suddenly she realized she wasn't alone. Quickly sitting up and wiping the tears from her cheeks with the sleeves of her sweater (a movement done in vain as they kept falling), Blair sniffled and forced a weak smile onto her features. Maybe he wouldn't notice. "Hey!" She forced out, her faux cheery voice sounding fake in her ears. "Sorry, I let myself in. Hope that's okay."

[oflifelincs]

WHO: blair + @staincdvermillion ( kian ) WHERE: Sunset Grill

With the new directive from Kerem banning all Kurtlar members from associating with any members of The Family or The Network, Blair had found herself feeling a bit lost. She'd lost Arden and found herself unable to spend time with a big part of her support system due to a rule she herself didn't fully understand or support, but didn't have much of a choice but to follow. So she found herself frequenting places she'd never spent much time in before, trying to find solace in spaces that didn't hold any memories and therefore didn't carry any hurt with them. And yet, despite having one of the best breakfast burritos she'd had in a while and containing no memories with any of those she'd lost to death or orders— Blair still found herself moping in a booth of the Sunset Grill.

Her breakfast burrito and side of home fries sat half eaten in front of her as she stared out of the window, eyes glassy as she was lost in memories she'd been doing her best to hold back but couldn't fight anymore. She wasn't sure what pulled her back to the present, but when her attention turned back to the table she found she wasn't alone. Quickly, her hands shot out and pulled her food closer to her. "I'm going to finish it." She snapped, instantly defensive. "And I'm not leaving anytime soon so you should find another, empty table."

[oflifelincs]

WHO: blair + @romeoxbarone WHERE: An Undisclosed Location in the Woods Somewhere Just Outside of LA

One of Blair's best skills was her ability to forge friendships with people both her brother and father wouldn't approve of. She had a knack for finding worth and softness in those deemed irredeemable, and because of that she'd fostered some really... interesting friendships. One of which had given her access to an outdoor shooting range on private wooded land that reminded her of somewhere her dad used to take her back home. She didn't find time to go often, but when she found herself feeling suffocated by the city she made her way out there. Not many people in her circle knew about it, so it was a peaceful place Blair could go to shoot and be left alone when things felt too big, too much— just like they did right now.

She'd been out on the range for a couple of house, going through boxes and boxes of ammunition as she alternated between her favorite rifle and handgun— the latter being in her hand when she heard the footsteps behind her and she whirled around, pointing the loaded weapon at the intruder, ready to pull the trigger should she find herself in danger. Instead, she found herself face to face with Romeo.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Romeo!" She breathed out a sigh and lowered her weapon, tucking it into the back waistband of her jeans. "I almost shot you." Her features remained stoic for a moment before she broke out into a grin, soft laughter escaping her lips as she shook her head. "I thought you gave up stalking me years ago?" She teased, pulling a two lollipops from her pocket, unwrapping a cherry one and popping it into her mouth and holding the other out to him. "Did your obsession come back with a vengeance after all this time?"

[oflifelincs]

WHO: blair + @cfbrckenwiiings ( melek ) WHERE: Iron Sight Range

Standing behind Melek, arms wrapped around her best friend as she adjusted the other woman's grip on the Glock currently in the other woman's perfectly manicured hands. "Okay so I know it feels counterintuitive because the kick back on these things can be kinda strong, but you don't want to grip the thing to death. It's not the last Gucci dress in your size during a sample sale." She mused, taking a step away from the brunette once she was happy with her grip, only to place her hands on the other's shoulders to adjust those as well.

"Okay, you're perfect now." She grinned, giving Melek's shoulders a squeeze before moving away completely. "Just remember to breathe and try not to anticipate your trigger pull too much. Your stance is perfect." After a pause she added. "And just have fun with it." It's what her dad used to say to her during their trips to the gun range and she couldn't help but repeat it.

[oflifelincs]

WHO: @adonisxcastro + mackenzie WHERE: His Condo

Arguments weren't uncommon in Mackenzie's life. She wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, despite the charismatic mask she often wore in public, and even those closest to her got sick of her shit— granted, it was less often than even she thought would be the norm, but those she held dear seemed to have patience that extended far past her own. But when it came to Adonis? Her particular brand of jealousy and insecurity was usually brushed off, met with words of affirmation, yet even he had his limits when it came to his not-girlfriend. And tonight, when he hadn't wanted to attend an event that she'd refused to be by his side for, was one of those nights.

Their spat was petty, one that she'd normally had forgiven as soon as she'd gotten home and climbed into bed with him, but when the tones for a priority call at the very event he was supposed to be at came out on the radio and her frantic texts and phone calls went unanswered, Mack's annoyance quickly grew. Like a fire overtaking a dry forest, the spark of annoyance flamed into pure anger at each missed call and unanswered message— an emotion underlined by debilitating fear. Was he one of the injured? Was she about to show up to a scene to find the man she loved dead on the pavement? His death wouldn't be something she'd be able to handle, so when they arrived on scene to find Adonis nowhere in sight she should have been relieved. But if he wasn't dead or injured or being interviewed as a witness by the police then why wasn't he answering her? It was that question that fueled her anger, one that he would soon be faced with as soon as she got home— if he was even there.

She'd known at least his phone was at his condo when looking at his location on her own device, making her way there once her shift was done— not even bothering to clean the blood of the dead off of her clothes before getting into her car. She had more pressing matters to deal with. And when she stormed into the quiet home, slamming the front door behind her and kicking off her shoes in the doorway, Mackenzie's fury was at it's peak when she found him sound asleep in the bedroom.

She went to grab her pillow from her unused side of the bed but quickly pivoted, moving to his side of the bed and snatching the pillow he was sleeping on from beneath his head and raising it up, only to slam it back down onto his chest. Once. Twice. Three times, as words fell from her lips in a screech that didn't even sound like her voice. "How. Fucking. Dare. You!"

[conallxward]

Over the years there'd been dozens of children and teens in and out of his aunt's house, taking sanctuary in the secure environment that she and his uncle had carefully created for them all. It had been inevitable that Conall himself would become part of that, once he'd let go of his grief enough to see past himself. There'd been something healing in it. Or at least that's what he told himself, that he'd used it all to fill the void the death of his parents rather than just distracting himself from the grief of it all.

Mack was one of the ones he'd created a truly lasting bond with, her filling in the role of sister so seamlessly there were times he forgot there was no real blood connection between them. Frown had sat heavily on his brow as he'd listened, vague anger bubbling at the fact she'd even had to see that, though he knew he had nowhere to direct it. Instead he refused to let her just brush over it, at least until he'd asked a few more questions. "Not anyway." Eyes tracked her as she paused to pop the bubbles, relieved to see that she wasn't in a state where nothing could bring her joy. "You know your department will have someone you can talk to about it, right?" Though he was happy to play confidante if that was what she needed, he just doubted his advice would be the best she could get. "Who's working the case?" Already making a mental note to follow it up himself.

He relents then, allowing her to steer the conversation back to him. "You coming for my role as well as my sleeping habits?" There was a huff to his tone before he quickly followed up, cutting off any kind of pressing she might have wanted to do. "But yes, I did. And I even did something fun to unwind." Brow arched in her direction. "That satisfy you or are you gonna steal my lecture next?" Words were dry even though he knew he'd played the hypocrite countless times over the years. Never one to be shy in telling his siblings to take care of themselves when he'd martyr himself over and over for the cause he'd chosen for himself.

[oflifelincs]

Reaching up to pop the bubbles that had nestled themselves in his hair, Mack gave Conall a look that easily conveyed a silent 'are you kidding me?' at his suggestion. "I think we both know that I'd rather die than talk to the department shrink." Her tone was matter of fact, her expression indignant, but only for a moment. She knew Conall was just trying to help, but she'd spoken to countless therapists in her life and she'd never gotten past two sessions with any on them— most of them not even lasting a single full session. Painting was her therapy, and she knew she'd be putting color to canvass once the pair went their separate ways later.

"Sullivan." She answered simply, reaching for his arm and holding onto it as they walked. She wasn't usually one for any kind of physical contact, but there were times when she found she needed it. But she'd never be that vulnerable around most people. But Conall wasn't most people, he was her brother. And there was a safety— a comfort in that that she needed to keep the darkness at bay. "I could steal your lecture if you want, but I figure you've given it so many times you probably don't need a reminder." A teasing smile colored her features as she gently bumped her side against his. "What did you do? Organize your stamp collection?" She mused, head tilting back to look up at him with amused eyes and a growing smile. "Or were we less of a grandpa today?"

[benitonieves]

Benito cocked his head to the side, absentmindedly rotating his wrist with the beer bottle in hand. "Mierda. You're telling me there's a difference? I thought they were all just a bunch of hillbillies driving cars." Showed how much he really knew, which was -- as usual -- a lot less than he thought he did. "Think he's having second thoughts about the marriage then? If they just got hitched a few months ago, you'd think they'd be all in on the honeymoon period. He'd be out or home with her. Unless --" he paused, considering for a moment, as if they were actually embarking on some serious profiling task and not pulling observations and assumptions out of their asses, "-- unless he got her pregnant, and it was bye bye to all the fun and games." He snorted, taking another slow sip. "What, you're not yearning for the Ed Hardy days to come back?" He wouldn't say that he was, either, but there was an old snapback in the back of his closet that liked to tempt him from time to time. Mostly after a few drinks.

After a moment, he gave Mackenzie a nod, moving out of her space back into his barstool once more. "You're good at that, y'know. Seeing the little details and whatnot." Regardless if their conjectures were based in any sort of fact. "You never wanted to go into profiling or anything? Hell, even go the detective route?"

[oflifelincs]

A quiet huff of a laugh left Mack's lips as she shook her head. "You really are just a pretty face, aren't you?" She mused, bright gaze traveling between her company and the man they'd been assessing just moment before. "NASCAR are the hillbillies— they wreck on purpose, wave confederate flags, and the stands are full of cut off jeans and shirts torn into tank tops. F1 started in Europe and just came to the US a little bit ago. Much classier. More expensive cars and sponsors." Shrugging her shoulders, Mack wasn't even sure where her knowledge of the various types of racing came from but she wasn't gong to dwell. Instead, her eyes went back to the target of their harmless speculation.

Her lips pressed together as she watched him, head tilted to the side slightly in concentration, before she shrugged. "Maybe they got into a fight and she kicked him out. Or maybe he's already cheating." With raised eyebrows as if to silently say 'oooh got him', Mack brought her glass to her lips and took a drink, hiding a smirk that stretched across her lips. "Wouldn't surprise me if he got her pregnant and stepped out because of that." Her gaze finally coming back to Benito, Mack's eyes rolled good-naturedly. "No. Men in busy, bedazzled t-shirts aren't really my thing. But maybe I'm just too young to remember how good it was." She teased.

Once he'd moved back out of her personal space, Mack let out a quiet sight, body relaxing as she finished off her drink. Waving her hand in the air at his words, as if to swat them away. "Fuck no." Her tone was decisive, final. "I'm going to get another drink, want anything?"

[oflifelincs]

WHO: @softstcps ( cat ) WHERE: Radiance Wellness

Laid out on a massage table as a woman with the strongest hands she'd ever encountered worked out the knots in her back, Sami let out a content sigh as she turned her head out of it's resting place on the table and rested it on her crossed arms as she looked over to Cat. "After this I say we do mani/pedis, I know we don't have them scheduled but I'm sure they could fit us in. I'm not quite ready to head back out into the real world yet. I'd like to drink a bit more cucumber water and pretend the entire city isn't about to implode."

[oflifelincs]

WHO: @jazminherrerax WHERE: The Melody Bar

Sitting backstage with a glass of wine in her hand as she watched the next act prepare to go on, Sami turned towards Jazmin with a raised brow and knowing smirk. "Do you think the guitarist is going to make it out there without puking? He looks a little green." She mused, leaning back in her chair as she crossed one leg over the other and watched the band's pre-show ritual play out before them. "Not that I don't get it, I was so nauseous during my first shift on the pole I thought one extra spin was going to have me pulling a Pitch Perfect all over the men in the front row but I was getting naked, not performing songs I wrote." She chuckled. "You think he's like this before every show?"

[oflifelincs]

WHO: @alixharrigan WHERE: Sunstone Atelier

Stepping out of the changing room with a glass of champagne in her hand and a very bridal looking gown draped across her body, Sami took a long drink of the bubbly liquid as she made her way over to the wall of mirrors and examined her reflection. "The dress is stunning." She observed, glancing over her shoulder at Alix through the mirror, "And the guy is offering a lot of money for me to play into some runaway bride fantasy for a video but..." Turning around as she drained the rest of the glass, she let out a deep sigh. "I would just hate to see it ruined the way he wants. Plus... I'm not entirely sure this guy's all there in the head and he's giving major 'wants to wear my skin' vibes in some messages so I'm not even sure I'm going to accept the commission."

Moving to refill her glass from the bottle left by the store associates for the pair, Sami turned back to the mirror for another glance before looking to Alix. "What do you think?"

[oflifelincs]

WHO: @staincdvermillion ( raph ) WHERE: Sami's 'Studio' @ Her Place

Draped across Raph's lap now that they were done filming a collab that'd been in the works for a couple of weeks, Sami held up her phone and navigated to her text thread with Ambrose. Before turning the device so Raphael could see, she made sure that none of her and The Network boss' activities were mentioned, seeing that their recent string of texts were simply her requesting money and him sending it.

"See," She turned the phone towards him, "All you have to do is request it. Watch." Typing in an Apple Cash request for $500 (an amount on the lower end of her usual outlandish requests), and attaching a note that stated 'I'm too pretty to pay for my own dinner', she sent it off. "And now, we wait."

[oflifelincs]

WHO: @enesturel WHERE: Neon Dreams

Tucked into a booth, leaning into Enes' side as her gaze scanned the growing crowd around them as the night went on, Sami brought her glass to her lips and took a small sip before the buzz of her phone on the table in front of them pulled her attention back. Picking up the device, she opened up her TextNow App and quickly scanned over the message from one of her subscribers (a feature paid for from her tip menu) as she spoke.

"You sure you're boss isn't going to show up and rip you away from me?" She teased, setting her drink down so she could use both hands to respond to the sext she'd received. Once her reply was sent she tilted her head up to look at him. "I hear there's a war brewing or something." Not that she really cared. In truth, while Sami was loyal to The Network she never really bothered herself with gang politics. She was more curious to know if someone who's company she quite enjoyed would have to make himself scarce in her life— not that she'd admit that to him.

[oflifelincs]

WHO: @ccxcorioni WHERE: Bella Agave Winery

The last time Sami was at the winery had put her in a position she'd nearly had to fight her way out of— not that the situation she'd ended up in with the winery's owner was much better. But this time? This time she wasn't here for a business meeting or to flirt with the owner, she was there for a low-key girl's day with her best friend after a week— no, a year— of drama and tragedy.

"As much as I love a good party, I think I'm going to avoid any that are thrown by the city's elite from now on." She mused, glass of wine in one hand as she leaned forward and snatched a piece of cheese from the charcuterie board in front of them. "My clothes are far too expensive to be near that much blood on a regular basis."

[staincdvermillion]

the call of a voice hadn't immediately caused his gaze to shift from the latest message to be delivered to his phone. all that the voice had earned was his hand reaching out, to ensure that the doors did not close prematurely before they made it within. even at the words of gratitude, kaan kept his attention fixed upon the phone. upon the message that effectively cut off another lead that he had been focusing upon. it was becoming a damn waste. an excess of energy and resources that continued to find nightshade coming up empty handed. how in the hell did a bomb like that simply disappear?

despite the words being nothing more than text on a screen, his annoyance could be felt within the message that was returned. an annoyance that was soon sharpened when that awful noise wretched itself through the lift. before it came to a quick and sudden halt. that is when his gaze snapped up, to the ceiling of the lift. to the floor number that it had halted on. then finally, to the woman that shared this misfortune with him.

it was immediate, the realization of who precisely he had found himself trapped with. and a silent curse resounded within his head. one that was soon voiced on her own tongue. when her gaze shifted to him. " oh, is that what i am now? " there was a hint of humor in his tone. despite the annoyance that still fixed itself within the marrow of his bones. " and here i thought you'd be excited to see me again. " this time, however, his tone lacked any humor. as his mind turned to how the hell he'd ended up in this situation. and how the hell he was going to get out of it in one piece.

[oflifelincs]

As a woman who prided herself on her control in every aspect of her life, including her emotions, she still hadn't gotten over the way Kaan had played her so easily. And she hated the way seeing him and being in such close proximity again had her heart racing. Though this time it wasn't from butterflies or anything soft like it'd had been— no, this time it was an adrenaline dump that'd been activated by her body's fight or flight response kicking in. She could have sworn she could even taste copper. How inconvenient.

Setting her jaw, she turned her gaze away from him and moved over to the buttons of the elevator— an act that brought them close enough that she could smell his cologne— and pressed the emergency and call buttons. She waited a mere second for a response before pressing the call button again and again as she spoke through gritted teeth. "Siktir git." The Turkish came out mumbled as she focused on the elevator panel and tried to ignore his existence, but despite herself his words stoked a fire in her that she couldn't seem to ignore.

Momentarily abandoning her attempts at calling for help, Sami turned around swiftly to face him, doing her best to school her features as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And here I thought I'd never have to breathe the same air as you again." She deadpanned. "Now will you be useful for once in your pathetic life and call 911 while I try and get this stupid call button to work?"