𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉.

[taliademir]

     ( hande erçel. cis female. she/her. wrath & sir chloe. ) that’s TALIA DEMIR, isn’t it? they’re always hanging around the CRIMSON pack, so it’s rare to catch them alone. i heard they’re THIRTY years old, and they’re currently an ART CURATOR at THE BRONX MUSEUM OF ARTS. when dusk falls, you can usually find them heading home to THE BRONX by TAXI. ( bonnie. 21. she/her. est. )

INTRO / PINTEREST / PLAYLIST. 

[taliademir]

SIMONE.

location :   durand books

featuring :   @duskstart​

IT’S BEEN TWO DAYS SINCE THE RUNE ARRIVED ON HER DOOR. the first day had been spent trying to cover the damn thing up, after the paint  ( or blood )  dried off and the branding is revealed. when it proves too hard of a task to complete, the second day is spent researching how much a new door is  ( more than you’d think ) .   on the third day, it’s a quiet morning at the store when she sees a figure through the window walk towards the door and eventually stop, hanging around without going inside. it’s only when she hears what sounds like gas escaping does she think to get up and see for herself. by the time she gets the door open, the hooligan had scampered away—and the door has been decorated once more, with a spraypainted outline of the rune along with two lines attached diagonally to the bottom of it. really, it looked like the rune was just a stick figure, which she assumed was the point.

of course she’s working alone this morning, so she’s cleaning off the door for the second time that week when she feels a presence behind her. with a sigh, she moves off to the side and opens the door, assuming it’s a guest.   “ looking to buy books, or gawk ? ”   she asks, not unkindly.

     TALIA’S FACE TWISTS IN DISGUST as she watches the person scurry away. “i can track them if you want,” she says flatly, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. as helpful as it might be, she really doesn’t want to do that. “i’m here to talk actually,” talia replies, and it’s not official council business, but some of her pack members’ stores have the rune, and that’s not something she doesn’t want them to not have answers to. not that simone will have all the answers, but maybe she could try. talia looks back to the butchered rune, shaking her head. “they could have at least made it look like it wasn’t a  child losing pictionary.”

[taliademir]

ROGER​.

“ DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, ”   he assures her with a smile, eyes immediately taking in what she’s wearing. roger’s hand rests on the small of the back as he hugs her, tilting her chin up towards him for a quick kiss.   “ not as nice as you, ”   he says, but it’s hard to compete with her. still, they’re celebrating valentine’s day and after the new year’s eve fiasco, roger’s made sure to look nice for the occasion—even if what he’s planned doesn’t necessarily need it.   “ hungry ? ”   he asks, taking her hand and beginning to walk her down the street. 

     SHE FEELS BUTTERFLIES WHEN ROGER LOOKS AT HER, smiling after the quick kiss. she’s normally the one to set the tone, but with everything going on, she’d rather roger do it so she knows what he’s comfortable with. talia lets out a laugh at his compliment, and if it was anyone else, she would have made a snide comment back. she nods, gripping his hand as he leads them down the street. “i am, but i’m more excited to see what you have planned.” it’s odd for her to not be the one to make decisions, but she doesn’t mind it necessarily.

[taliademir]

JAMES.

“YOU USED TO,” he drawls. Theoretically, he should cut down on the dose a bit, except when has James ever done so with Talia? He got her right where he wants her to be and it’s pointless pulling back now. He’s pleased she attempts to slap him again, and this time he lets her. It’s only mere nanoseconds between that and the feeling of his hand meeting his cheek, head turning at the impact of it. It’s  good slap, he’ll give her that, it’ll probably sting in a bit. It’s a good indicator all of her anger went into that slap. He looks at her again, a smirk forming up his lips. “Not a bad one, Demir. You let all that anger out?” And in that moment, it begins to sting.

     HIS COMMENT MAKES HER SKIN TURN HOT, and she’s glad she slapped him. it won’t teach him a lesson, and he’ll continue to always be a thorn in her side, but it is cathartic for her. she wants to punch him, to get that smirk off of his features, and she feels her fingers twitch just because of the thought. “i can’t fucking stand you.” talia tells him, hands bunched into fists at her sides now. she should walk away before this turns ugly, but she stays in her place, glaring up at james. “why do you always have to make people’s lives hell?”

[taliademir]

KIERAN​.

his throat dried at her question, because how was he meant to answer that? he wasn’t entirely sure what his relationship with leyla was, and the feelings that he had for her were just as confusing as defining what the two of them had. for one, sometimes, when he looked at her, he still saw her as a little sister to his best friend, someone that he had learned to accept was always going to be around. for another, he also… felt something for her. he wouldn’t have kissed her otherwise. “i don’t know,” he said, licking his lips nervously. “i think i do, but i don’t know if it’s some sort of weird stockholm syndrome or if the feelings are… real.” he looked at talia for a long moment. “i don’t want to hurt her, but i also don’t want to ruin this… sort of easiness that we have with one another.” 

     THE SILENT HESITATION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN HIS WORDS. her nails tap on the arm of her chair as she waits for his answer, and she doesn’t like the idea of it, the protective side of her coming out. but a small part of her is more concerned for kieran rather than leyla. the demir women always are a force to be reckoned with, and while leyla has slightly more composure than talia or zehra, kieran has his work cut out for him. “my sister is one of the best people i’ve ever met, you would be a fool not to feel a certain way about her.” at this point, she’s even confusing herself about this. “but it goes without saying that if you do ruin it, i will make your life hell.”

[taliademir]

LEYLA​.

—–

leyla wondered whether kieran had wanted to keep that moment to themselves. which is why talia hadn’t received the information yet. it had been a surprise, and intimate. perhaps it should have stayed between them? talking about it made her lips tingle once more. “well, don’t be hard on him. i initiated it,” she told her sister, a small smirk twisting her lips to show she was jesting with her. 

the youngest demir listened to her sister. “well no, of course not. it’s incredibly exposing and we both know emotional vulnerability isn’t our thing,” she replied. “but we don’t always have choice over these things. our bodys and our brains react before we prompt them, or have chance to think about how it may affect us,” she added, softly. “how does roger feel about it?” leyla murmured to her sister. as talia spoke about her anger, leyla stroked her arm, showing her that she had support and love in the room. she knew how her sister could thunder. leyla shaked her head as if to tell talia that her thanks wasn’t necessary, a soft smile with it. the demir sisters were always there for each other. she pressed a light kiss to talia’s head. “look, you know i’ll always be in your corner. i’m angry for you. so whatever you need to do or say, tell me, or let me know and i’ll be there if you need me to be,” 

     SHE HAD THOUGHT THAT LISTENING TO LEYLA TALK ABOUT HER BEST FRIEND WOULD BE AWKWARD, and yes, it still is. but maybe seeing her sister seem like she has feeling for kieran makes her not feel so nauseated, like she could be happy with him. “i’m not going to make any promises,” she says nonchalantly. it’s her job to make kieran sweat, so maybe she’ll have a little bit of fun with this. 

     talia let out a shaky laugh, and there are so many emotions she’s feeling right now, she doesn’t know what to do with herself. “when did you get so philosophical?” talia asks, nudging her sister gently. leyla is right, and she just wished that maybe she would have better control over all this, saving herself from the mess it causes. “he isn’t too happy with it, and i think there’s other stuff going on between him and beck.” and talia wants to be nosy enough to find out from someone, but she knows roger would tell her if it is something she should know.”but he still wants to... be with me, so it’s just a lot of pressure taken off of us.” which she should be happy about, but it just wasn’t handled the correct way in her eyes. talia leans into her sister, the ghost of a smile on her features. “i know you are,” talia says softly, squeezing her sister’s hand. “and i love you for it. i know i’ll be okay, but it just feels awful right now.”

[taliademir]

STARTER FOR @ofwhittaker​

     “I’M SORRY I’M LATE,” talia says somewhat breathlessly, heels clicking against the pavement as she approaches roger. she won’t tell him that every dress she owns is thrown across her bedroom because she couldn’t decide what to wear until she had facetimed zehra. “i lost track of time,” she laughs at herself, stepping forward to give him a quick hug. because she’s thinking they can do that now, right? “you look very nice.” she just hopes it isn’t obvious she still gets nervous for their dates.

[taliademir]

JAMES​.

HE KNEW BRINGING UP HER PACK WOULD ENRAGE HER. It would elicit a similar, if not a stronger, reaction if the roles were reversed. It’s easily one of the things that make him see red. He’s quick to anticipate Talia’s movement, reaching to grip her by the wrist before her hand comes up to his cheek, a smug grin now curving up the werewolf’s lips, eyes dark and fixed on hers. “About time,” he drawls. “Try again. I dare you, Demir.” He wants her to do it again.

     “FUCK YOU, JAMES,” she says through gritted teeth. she’s angry at him, sure, but she’s even angrier at herself for falling victim to his trap, for letting him win this time. talia pulls her wrist free, but it’s the same time as when her other hand goes up to try to slap him. she knows it’s only going to make things worse, but she needs to get this anger out, and james is one person she knows that won’t break because of it.

[taliademir]

CAMILO.

xx

     Camilo shrugged at her question, hands laying relaxed at the arms of the chair even though on the inside he was trying to figure out just why she was so interested in him. Of course, he knew why just on the basis of how they knew each other. But maybe since he wasn’t close with his own family, he didn’t know how close knit works. “They own a tea shop I’m not technically suppose to go into anymore. I’m addicted to their blends.”

    TALIA BLINKS, her lips pursed together. not the answer she was expecting, and even then, it’s so far fetched she doesn’t know if she believes him. “there’s a story there,” she says, pointing one of her fingers over to him. “is it one i should know?” talia’s head tilts to the side, and she has a feeling if it was, camilo wouldn’t just tell her.

[taliademir]

ROGER​.

HIS ARM MOVES FROM AROUND HER, though roger keeps his hand lightly on her back as they head out of the museum, taking their time roaming the halls of where they came from. once outside, roger knows he should probably call it a night, considering he pays his babysitter by the hour. but instead he finds himself asking,   “ do you want to get dinner ? ”

     THERE’S SOMETHING CALMING ABOUT HAVING ROGER BY HER SIDE, and she knows it’s more than just the fact that they finally got everything out that they needed to. once the night air hits her, she instinctively moves closer to roger for heat. “i’d love to,” talia says, and it hurts her to say this next part, but she knows it’s true. “but i have work in the morning, and i’m sure you need to get home.” talia offers a small smile as she steps away only slightly. “but we should get dinner sometimes this week. just let me know when.”

[taliademir]

KIERAN​.

kieran smiled gently, a great sense of relief washing over him as he stood up from her and made his way over to where he’d been sitting, opposite her on another couch. he was relieved to have told her, the weight of it having been on his shoulders for quite some time. to know that she knew and wasn’t mad at him about it? that was a pressure he hadn’t realized he was so worried about carrying. his body stilled at the mention of leyla, and he looked at the patterns on the ground for a long moment before he looked up at her. he tried to gauge her face, wondering how she felt about it. “she is my fiancée,” he pointed out, licking his lips nervously. “is that not what you’re supposed to do with the woman you’re meant to be marrying?” he was making a joke out of it, but the idea that he was kissing leyla and that she’d spoken of it with talia stressed him out a bit. “and i didn’t mean for it to happen. it just… did.” 

     TALIA’S WATCHING HIM NOW, and the fact that his body tense doesn’t get lost on her. she’s just playing the role of the dutiful older sister, but maybe she’ll switch over to being the gossiping friend. “sounds like a cover up to me,” talia teases, eyes squinting only slightly. at first, the entire idea had been odd to her, her beta marrying her little sister, but she knows her parents could have set leyla up with someone considerably worse. “do you have feelings for her?” she asks bluntly, not wanting to beat around the bush for either of their sakes.

[taliademir]

ZEHRA.

𝑍𝐸𝐻𝑅𝐴   𝑆𝐶𝑅𝐸𝑊𝑆   𝑈𝑃   𝐹𝐴𝐶𝐸 ,      ❝      take   that   back .     ❞      if   it   was   one   thing   she   hated   it   was   being   compared   to   her   parents   in   any   form .      ❝      can   i   not   offer   sisterly   advice   without   being   questioned ?     ❞      she   comes   to   raise   a   brow ,      looking   at   talia   expectantly .      yet   her   question   was   valid ,      zehra   WASN’T   THE   ONE   YOU’D   GO   TO   for   relationship   advice .      ❝      fine .      have   it   your   way   but   i   doubt   whittaker   would   go   through   with   a   loveless   marriage .      he’s   not   the   type .     ❞   

     TALIA BITES BACK A SMILE, feeling bad that she said it, but it’s not like she’s wrong. “you can, you can. my apologies,” she says, flashing her sister an apologetic smile. and even if zehra isn’t the one to go to for advice, talia still appreciates her sister’s input. “i don’t know. i mean, he did agree to it solely for his pack.” right now, all talia is doing is trying to find reasons to not be feeling the way she does about roger.

[taliademir]

NABI.

          she’s  on  her  way  to  the  diner,  even  catches  a  glimpse  through  a  window  of  roger  talking  with  someone,  along  with  a  little  line  forming,  so  she  knows  she’s  got  to  hurry.  but  the  moment  she’s  past  the  doorway,  he’s  not  there  anymore.  well,  that’s  awful  timing.  her  fingers  scratch  at  her  backpack  before  lining  for  the  company  he  had  been  with.    ❛    hi,  i’m  so  sorry,  i  don’t  mean  to  bother  you.  i  just  saw  you  talking  with  roger  before  coming  in  and  it’s  a  bit  busy  and  i  don’t  want  to  bother  him  either  and  gosh,  sorry,  do  you  know  if  he’ll  get  a  minute  soon ?    ❜     /     @taliademir​

     THE OTHER CATCHES HER OFF GUARD, but she settles when she realizes who it is. talia recognizes the face, and she knows it shouldn’t feel weird, but it does. “hi,” she greets her, smile spreading across her features. it fades slightly at the question as she shakes her head. “i’m not sure, i think the lunch rush is starting to come in,” she replies, a somewhat nervous laugh escaping. “is there maybe something i can help you with?”

[taliademir]

JAMES.

IT’S UNUSUAL FOR TALIA TO GIVE UP SO QUICKLY. As far as he’s concerned, it’s a sensitive topic for her. The end result of their back-and-forths have always been to have one of them back down, yet this never happens, so seeing Talia not keeping up the charade is as satisfying as he thought it would be. He’s mostly unimpressed. “Oh, that tradition is silly to you, but the arranged marriage tradition that’s so prevalent in your pack isn’t?” he challenges, eyebrow quirking at her. Of course he’s aware of that, it’s part of the pack’s history.

     HER ENTIRE BODY FEELS LIKE IT’S ON FIRE, and normally, talia would have most likely been able to handle this situation like an adult. but james has caught her on a bad day, and she’s too on edge. talia feels the familiar twitch in her fingers, and before she knows it, her hand is already coming up to try to slap james. “do not speak about my pack.” she doesn’t think about the council rules about harming other leaders, and it’s not like either of them have previously cared about the guidelines anyways.

[taliademir]

CAMILO.

xx

     Camilo could argue quite easily on Talia about the level of importance and in meetings, but instead he decided to stay quiet and let her get more comfortable in the chair in front of him. “Ah, I must’ve forgotten that my mother decided to change her looks once again.” Sarcasm. His mother would never actually meet him face to face if she wouldn’t answer a phone call. “An old friend if you’re that concerned.”

     TALIA ONLY RAISES HER EYEBROWS AT HIS REPLY, and she makes sure to make herself comfortable in the chair. “wasn’t concerned necessarily,” she says, and it’s a complete lie. she thinks it’s her role as a nosy and protective older sister to bother camilo as often as she can. “just wanted to say hi, i’m here with a group of friends. how do you know this old friend of yours?” now she’s just giving him a hard time.

[taliademir]

ROGER​.

“ GREAT, ”   HE SMILES BACK AT HER, not missing the color that highlights her cheeks. her question makes him laugh too, because it’s valid, but instead roger just shakes his head and lets go of her hand, instead letting that arm wrap around her waist lightly.   “ no, ”   roger tells her pointedly, unable to hold back his smile. he makes a show of looking at the painting, waiting a few seconds, before smiling down at her.   “ see ?   i feel happy, ”   he teases, and he can’t remember the last time it’s been this easy with someone. but it was true :   he IS happy, and he IS calm. they’re going to be okay. talia leans more of her weight into him and roger’s arm tightens around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before sighing softly. he gives himself a few more moments to soak up this moment, before asking,   “ do you want to get out of here ? ” 

     TALIA KNOWS SHE’S FALLING HARD, and she knows she is by the way she enjoys listening to him laugh, even if it had been a ridiculous question. talia’s breath catches as his arm goes around her waist before she relaxes into him. if she could, she’d stay like this as long as she could, but it’s an art museum and where she works, and she’s regretting them going on a date here. but talia also thinks it’s a good thing, considering she has to be professional and not like a touch starved girl with her crush. “you’ve convinced me,” she says teasing. she wonders if he’s happy because of the painting or if it’s because he’s with her despite it all, and she’s hoping selfishly that it’s the latter. talia sighs before leaning away from him slightly, instantly missing the warmth of him. “yeah,” she nods as she looks up at him. “i think we’re closing soon anyways.” and thankfully, she doesn’t have to be one of the people closing. 

[taliademir]

LEYLA​.

the youngest demir nodded her head. “yeah, i did,” she told her sister with a smile. “we also both went for a cheek kiss at midnight and ended up kissing properly,” she added. she said it simply, nonchalantly, but in reality, there was a pink tinge to her cheeks and her eyes swam with amusement. “i’m surprised he didn’t tell you,” she admitted.

leyla watched her sister as she spoke, a frown of concern knotting her brows when talia’s voice wavered. “because you care, tal,” she said softly. “maybe more than you actually ever expected too,” she added. “care about it, and well, rodger,” leyla added softly. “and it’s been taken out of your control, which isn’t nice, or fair given it’s your future and your pack who isn’t also implimented,” she spoke. leyla got up from her seat and moved around the table to wrap her arms around her sister’s neck to hug her.

     HEARING HER LITTLE SISTER TALK ABOUT HER BEST FRIEND IS ODD, but talia doesn’t miss the blush displayed across her sister’s cheeks. it’s adorable, and if she wasn’t so upset, she would have pestered her about it more. instead, she just shakes her head. “no, he didn’t.” though, she doesn’t blame kieran; he’s been on the receiving end of talia’s anger too many times. but this is something she’s going to be pestering him about next time she sees him. 

     “i don’t want to,” she admits, and maybe this is her wanting to prevent herself from getting hurt in the long run. what happens if she develops these feelings for roger just for the betrothal to completely fall through on its own? even without beck’s influence. it’s not something she had pictured herself caring about before, and now the thought makes her chest tighten with anxiety. “i was so angry when i first got the news about the betrothal and our parents arranging it without me, and now i’m angry that it’s paused without me.” talia’s never had a true therapist, just a school counselor back in high school that spoke to her about her anger issues, but saying she’s angry and why she is does make her feel better. when her sister wraps her arms around her, talia lets herself finally relax, and she feels so much better overall. “thank you,” she says softly into her sister’s hair. she knows she didn’t need to thank her, as the demir sisters have always been there for each other. it hasn’t been until recently that talia has needed their support more than ever.