you haven’t heard about SELIN KÖSE in town yet? let me fill you in! their birthday came and went this year which makes them 33 years old. i’m 100% certain that they’re CANCER. when you’re walking in town, you could spot them working as A FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER & SERVER AT MOONLIT BISTRO. they live over in ASHFORD GATE. and from what else i’ve gathered, they’ve got a reputation for being known as THE DEVOTED HEART.
❝ sunlight through sheer curtains gilding bare shoulders as dust motes float through the golden air. stacked rings and heirloom lockets. raven waves whipping in the wind, a scent of roses and figs carried down the coastline on the breeze. vintage cameras in various states of repair scattered throughout every room and cups of tea abandoned by the bathroom sink. candy sugar dusting the tips of an at home manicure. windows down, music blasting, feet up on the dash. lazy mornings spent in bed. an accidental brush of a calloused hand. ❞
𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.
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𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬.
full name: selin meryem köse
nicknames: sey
pronouns: she/her
age: 33
birthday: july 13, 1992
zodiac sign: cancer sun, virgo moon, capricorn rising
ethnicity: turkish-american
faceclaim: hande ercel
relationship status: single?
occupation: freelance photographer currently working as a server at moonlit bistro
languages spoken: english (native fluency), turkish (fluent), spanish (conversational)
place of residence: ashford gates
subplots: muse B in "we're all pretty bizarre" and muse B in "i miss my friend"
𝐭𝐥𝐝𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.
Soft spoken but iron spined, Selin hails from a wealthy, conservative family that disowned her mom after she became pregnant as a teen. Her grandparents refused any relationship with their daughter but they did deign to create an inheritance for Selin—one she could only access under specific conditions.
In other words, they'd give her a foot back into the family's good graces so long as she proved she wasn't the type to follow in her mom's long line of utter disappointment and shameful mistakes.
Honestly, she found the entire thing insulting. Selin never wanted a life defined by their rules. Never wanted a handout, period, let alone one that far exceeded her actual needs and one that came at what felt like her mom's emotional expense.
She turned her back on the offer for years, chasing her own passions (even if photography was just a “hobby” in her grandparents eyes) but when her mom developed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the medical bills began piling up… well. The fact that her then boyfriend proposed soon after felt a little like divine intervention… then later became her heart's worst mistake.
When her fiancé abruptly ended the engagement recently the promise of that inheritance—and her ability to give her mom the care she needs—collapsed overnight. With her mom’s health declining and no other means of significant support in sight, Selin’s found herself in a suddenly very desperate spot.
Cue Lenox Havery—Her best friend. Her best friend, part time antagonist, and new fake boyfriend? The plan he proposed was simple enough. Start dating, get engaged, move in together, marry, and then part ways once the money was legally hers to do with as she willed. What could possibly go wrong?
𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.
personality traits: deeply loyal, protective, intuitive, nostalgic, anxious overthinker, self-critical, composed, responsible, soft-hearted but aims to appear unaffected, internalizes stress, compassionate, resilient, quietly defiant, emotionally perceptive, detail oriented, creative, avoids confrontation, accepts blame too easily, family orientated
fatal flaw: her self-sacrificial loyalty. sey has a relentless instinct to protects those she cares about, even at the expense and detriment of herself. there's little to nothing she wouldn't do for them, no matter how much it hurts or how large a sacrifice it requires. she stays in situations that drain her for far too long, accepts emotional and physical burdens that aren't hers to carry, puts the needs of others before herself. deep down she thinks she has to quietly bleed for those she loves. that her value lies only in how much she can endure for them.
wardrobe aesthetic: selin favors earth tones, creams, muted blues, and soft peach shades. her style could be described as effortless, if only for the fact that she's so careful and intentional about what she buys that everything in her closet seamlessly fits together and is a piece that she loves. think flowy skirts and dresses, unbuttoned linen shirts over tank tops and bralettes, soft cardigans that usually slide off her shoulder if oversized or loosely buttoned with nothing else underneath if fitted, occasionally a leather jacket lenox talked her into purchasing when she wants to appear braver than she feels, gold jewelry—she has a locket belonging to her mom that she rarely takes off, soft leather sandals, worn ankle boots, ballet flats. because she's very tactile she prefers fabrics that feel good against her skin—silk, soft cotton, thrifted cashmere pieces, velvet, linen, etc.
likes: turkish coffee brewed thick and strong, mediterranean cooking, soft indie playlists, long drives along the coast, slow mornings, oversized sweaters, dry humor, sunset photoshoots, stray cats, citrus scents, true crime documentaries, history podcasts, trying out new hobbies she's inevitably terrible at, peach rings, diet coke and sprite, naps on the couch, stealing t-shirts she always swears she'll return but never actually does
dislikes: cold and sterile spaces (such as the hospital), conflict, feeling pressured or controlled, snobbery and elitism, being underestimated, wasting time, mushrooms, cold feet (literally and figuratively), horror movies after dark, being chronically late no matter how hard she tries to arrive on time
habits / quirks: twirls her hair when anxious, mutters to herself in turkish when she's frustrated, always photographs the moments nobody else notices, collects postcards from places she dreams of visiting someday, sleeps with a nazar amulet loosely sewn to the underside of her pillow, chews her lip when she wants to say something but doesn't, always has some form of beverage on hand — usually coffee, diet coke, or sprite, volunteers at various organizations on a regular basis, her apartment is littered with random stacks of photographs but none featured on her walls are actually her own work, starts a new hobby at least every three weeks and the unsuccessful evidence of such is often also scattered across her apartment
𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.
connections with a ( * ) will eventually make their way onto the main.
what's a little fake dating between friends? - taken by lenox havery. to be written.
ex fiancé - open 0/1 ( male, 30's ) * I'm leaving this rather vague to leave space for plotting, but the set in stone details are that they were engaged for three years up until fairly recently when he abruptly called things off, bruising her heart in the process. It'd be a lie to say her fake relationship with Lenox isn't at least in part to get under y/m skin and show him what he lost.
cousins - open 0/2 ( details utp but must be of turkish ethnicity ) * I'd love to have at least two cousins in play for Selin—one who's more of a loyalist to their grandparents and has always turned their nose at Sey, another who's gone against the grain and maintained a relationship with her despite the tension and estrangement.
the suspicious snoop - open 0/1 ( details utp ) I imagine they run in similar circles to her family and Selin's sudden relationship with Lenox has raised a brow. They don't fully buy it, know her grandparents would probably love to learn it's all a rouse if they can find proof, and have become determined to do just that. Getting close to Sey is really just a ploy to get dirt on her so that they can decide how to best use it to their own advantage.
fellow creatives - open 0/?? ( details utp ) like calls to like. gimme a group of other photographers, artists, musicians, actors, dancers, etc. that Sey feels seen and understood with.
the client - open 0/?? ( details utp ) Selin's photography has always felt deeply personal and she's rarely strayed from maintaining the integrity of her personal vision, but beggars can't be choosers from time to time. Especially with her mom's health in decline she's started taking various jobs she otherwise probably would've passed on. Think professional headshots, commercial photoshoots, pictures for a company's website or social media presence, event photography, etc.
the protective best friend - open 0/1 ( details utp but likely in their 30's ) * This muse likely knows both Selin and Lenox and they see right through their so-called relationship. They're probably not quiet about it either, often expressing their concerns about the potential fallout—whether that be with her grandparents or her soft heart. For all their opinions, though, they come from a good place and are just as much a ride or die in her life as Lenox is, himself. **would be awesome is this character was also part of the "we're all pretty bizarre" subplot
muse A in the "I miss my best friend" subplot * work, lives moving in different directions—for more reasons than one this pair of former best friends has grown apart over the years. but, while it bothers Selin deeply and it feels as if a hole has been left in their absence, it doesn't seem to bother muse A nearly as much and she's not sure why. **this one is obviously through the main but i'd love to see it filled. just saying.
Co-workers at Moonlit Bistro, neighbors in Ashford Gates, old roommates, old flings, childhood friends, college friends, newer friends, high school ex, flirtationships, frenemies, etc.!
