D I L A N - S A H I N
28. New York Native. Professional Ballerina. You were red and you liked me 'cause I was blue. But you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky. And you decided purple just wasn't for you.
my name is [ DILAN ŞAHIN ] … and i am from [ MANHATTAN NY ] and i’m a [ PROFESSIONAL BALLERINA ]. i lived in helltown for [ 6 MONTHS ] because [ I CAN’T GO HOME ]. i am [ 28 ] my pronouns are [ SHE/HER ] and i am [ METICULOUS, DISCREET, CREATIVE ] though some may say i’m [ STUBBORN, RECKLESS , SLY ]. i also hear i look a lot like [ ASLIHAN MALBORA] but, i don’t know if i see it. i’m here because [ I’M LOOKING FOR MY EX-BOYFRIEND TO GET HIM TO LEAVE ME ALONE ] but, maybe there’s more to it than that. you never know with helltown.
Growing up in a noteworthy family within New York, Dilan didn’t have a need for a lot of things — her parents made sure of that. Her father inherited a multi million dollar chain of hotels from her grandfather and somehow a small town waitress (now) socialite landed him.
Her older brother is first in line to take over and her father has been practically raising him for the role since he was born.
She fell into the role of the background child, getting away with everything that didn’t affect the family publicly.
Her parents drilled the importance of image and reputation into all of their children, informing them that something small could blow up in their faces and cost them everything.
She figured being the baby of the family would help lighten their ideals, especially having two sons before she was born but Dilan was left living a double life — one where she wanted her name to mean something beyond the hospitality business.
Her childhood love was ballet, from the age of 3 to now she’d found herself within the walls of a studio. She’d train during the week and left the weekend (Friday nights included) to secretly take on the nightlife with her friends.
Dilan met her now ex boyfriend in a club, a man who didn’t know her as anything more than plain old Dilan. She felt like she could really be herself around him and he was the person that was always there when she needed someone.
A few years ago she was there on center stage, playing Juliet in a small Broadway theater and her ankle went to give out on her. Her ex watched everything from the front row, her family didn’t catch it, but he saw the resilience in her eyes as she refused to let her body fall to the ground in front of a crowd. Once she got off the stage she could barely put pressure on her left ankle, still she didn’t let herself fall until she was alone with him in her dressing room.
There was more than meets the eye to her boyfriend, he had a connection to someone who would allow her to keep her injury in the shadows. Sure under the table pain medicine wasn’t the most trustworthy thing, but it kept the public from seeing she had a weakness to prey on.
Soon she didn’t need the pills at all, the injury healed, but that wasn’t enough for her to stop taking them. Though she never blamed her ex for the addiction, he was there with her every step of the way (also getting high) This made their relationship slightly unhealthy, but it was clear that the feelings between the two of them were real.
Her parents found out about the relationship and the ties he had to addictive substances and demanded she cut ties. The plan was to send her abroad and pay him to leave town — once he fled they found out the other side to their relationship and kicked Dilan out of her childhood home.
The girl did some digging and found out her parents had paid him to stay away and now he was demanding more or he’d go to the media and tell them everything he knew about the Sahin’s.
His trail led her to Helltown, Ohio. and she’s hoping she’ll be able to track him down and convince him to leave her alone.
LOCATION: the fundraiser
FOR: @helltownhqstarters (open)
"It's just too weird, man. A blood drive?" Vic shook his head, playing up his stupidity as he tried to get a read on the other person. He was really only here to keep his eyes and ears peeled, to figure out if there was any news he hadn't been aware of, details he'd missed. "Nuh uh. Who knows what they're doing with it. Probably, like, trying to bring them back to life or something. I don't know about you, but I'm not signing up to be Frankenstein-ed and shit."
"It seems a little insensitive, doesn't it?" Dilan questioned with a sigh before shaking her head. "I honestly hadn't thought of that, but that makes me want to donate even less than I already did. It's just too weird...Mr. McNeil is in custody and she's having a fundraiser?"
"It looks like it." If she, or anyone, knew what he was really like, they would never consider themselves lucky to be on the receiving end of his attention but no one knew him. No one knew what he was really like ( outside of those who were no longer around to spread the truth ). "Ouch, do you flatter everyone like that or is it just me?" Raf teased, shaking his head with his hand over his heart as though she had truly wounded him. "If I say no, are you going to judge me for that?"
“I’m honored.” Dilan told him with a laugh, in reality she actually enjoyed his company. She laughed a bit at his question, slowly shaking her head. "Nope, that treatment is specifically reserved for special circumstances." She looked at him for a moment, wondering if he'd actually think she'd judge him for not doing well. "Not at all, given everything lately I'd say it's more than okay. Is something on your mind?"
"Me neither..."Devi admitted. She knew coming here with Maya to try and investigate all the ghost stories and urban legends might lead to some less than savory situations but she hadn't quite wrapped her head around living them. "The Eternal Brotherhood...not particularly but did you notice the initials on the bottom? Those have to be initials right? I'm thinking...at the solstice, that masked figure mentioned a few people - do you think it might be them? Could it be related?"
"Yeah it doesn't ring any bells for me either." Dilan tried her best to think of something but nothing was coming to mind. "The initials at the bottom?" She questioned, not realizing the first time that the letters could of meant something. "You're right, do you remember any of the people's names? If they match up we might be onto something..."
Sometimes when he's bored, he likes to go to the bowling alley to have some fun. But it's not always that he can find someone to go with him. He did have plenty of friends, he was an easygoing person, and he was far from shy, so it was easy for him to get to know people and to get close to them, but it wasn't always that they were free, however, that didn't stop him from going alone. He had just got a strike, and noticed someone else who was also alone in the alley by his side, "Hey, you're up for a challenge?" he smiled widely, "If you win, I will pay for whatever drink and food you want to eat," he offered his hand for the other to shake in case they were up for it. He was enjoying himself, but he really wanted something a little harder and more exciting, and that would work just fine.
"A challenge?" She questioned, her head tilting at the sound of a familiar voice. "Clint?" She let out a sigh, shaking her head before meeting his eyes. "And who's money are you going to be using exactly for all of these payments?" They'd been able to steer clear of each other since Dilan arrived in town, though it's not like she could go back home even if she wanted to. "Is this what you've been doing all this time?"
After the solstice, Adeline had been having an even tougher time than usual not thinking about Derrick. Not feeling guilty, not missing him. Her feelings were so complicated, and they hardly mattered, because she wasn't the one that was in danger... or... worse. Brought back to reality at the sound of a cough, she realized at once that she was zoning out again, and could hardly remember what she'd even been doing. Blame it on lack of sleep or stress or all of the above. "I'm sorry, so sorry," she spoke, taking a half-step out of the way, "please, cut in front of me. I was in my own little world."
Dilan was focused on the specials in front of her, hoping the longer she stared at the list that she'd magically come up with a decision before she reached the counter. It was when she heard the other's voice that she realized she was already there, not stopping to pay attention to how much time had actually passed. "What? Oh, don't be sorry. I couldn't even tell you what I wanted right now if I'm honest." She laughed. "I think we might be in the same boat over here."
"You got me there." He teased back, ordering a rum and coke quickly from the bartender before turning his attention back onto Dilan. "Not sure yet, right now I'm just glad there's someone here to talk to and I'm not relegated to having a drink and some food on my own." Not like he couldn't go home and have Tala make him something, she would have, but after all of the business cards, evidence and bodies showing up ( and enough suspicious looks to last a lifetime ), Rafael was in desperate need of a drink away from his life.
"So I'm the lucky one tonight?" She questioned, looking back at him as she soaked up all of the attention he was throwing her way. "The least I can do is join you for a few drinks, I suppose you aren't the worst company I've ever had." It was typical for the two of them to share pleasant conversations and with everything going on lately the brunette couldn't pass up the chance at another one. "You been alright?"
"I...am inclined to agree." For years, Devi had been known in the true crime podcast space which meant there was some notoriety among the criminals they covered and drew attention to but she'd never experienced anything like this before. "Okay, okay, so you got one and I think I heard someone else talking about it and also a few other things that got dropped off - I have no idea. It's all a lot but it feels like someone out there wants us to figure something out."
"I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse." Part of her felt better than she wasn't the only one receiving messages, but it was really unsettling that something sinister was happening around town. "These have to be clues, right? Does the name on the business card sound familiar to you at all?"
thomas pointed a finger, narrowing her eyes; " like that, dil. EXACTLY like that. all judgey and . . . critical. for fuck sakes, " thomas huffed, slouching back in his bar stool, sinking so far into it the nape of his neck almost hit the backrest. groaning audibly, thomas slid his palm down his face, tugging on quickly-aging skin as he frowned deeper. " it wasn't — okay, it wasn't an accident. it was a fully intentional sliding . . . "
thomas grimaced at the vulgarity of his own words , nearly choking on the beer that leapt back up his esophagus before sinking back down again. humiliation sat ripe in his features, and he swatted a dismissive hand in her direction. " shut up, " he muttered, scarlet igniting the apples of his cheeks and the shells of his ears. " she's hot, okay ?? and she — she kissed me at the bar and then . . . and then one thing lead to another and now i just— look, i know i'm stupid. i'm an idiot !! but . . . it isn't my fault she still talks to me. she started it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, you might need to get me a mirror." Dilan teased, he always made it way too easy. "Me??? When have I ever judged? I'm just trying to wrap my head around whatever the hell yours was thinking." Her head tilted slightly at the sound of his words, him mirroring her own statement took her by surprise. "Riiiight." The brunette said, pausing for a moment before joining in on the laughter. "I don't think I can do that, you're currently sporting a better blush than I am." Leaning over she playfully poked one cheek and then the other, slowly shaking her head at him. "So let me get this straight, all I have to do is initiate a kiss and then you suddenly don't know how to act? I thought we were better than this, Tommy."
"I'm still not over the shock of getting one. First the necklace, now the card...this has got to mean they know who I am and I don't know if I find that to be a good thing." Devi sighed, staring down at the business card that had been taped to her door when she got home. "Did you see this?" She asked, finally lifting her eyes to the woman sitting next to her. In some situations, secrecy might have been a good idea but right now Devi was all about laying it out on the table. It was the only way to not get caught up in secrets and get buried under them.
“Being known right now doesn’t strike me as a good thing.” There was so much going on, Dilan could barely wrap her head around it. From the fire to the bonfire, thankfully something she didn’t have to witness for herself, but gifts? cards? What’s next? Slowly the brunette nodded her head. “I got one of those too, it was taped to my front door the other day.” It was weird to talk about these things out loud, like somehow keeping them to yourself made them less real. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
Spying a familiar head of hair at the bar, Raf didn't hesitate to cross over like his presence had been requested because in his mind, it always was. He was as delight to be around and who would disagree? Certainly not Dilan as he slid into the stool next to hers. "They'll just let anyone in here, won't they?" Raf smirked, chuckling to himself as he waved over the waitress for a menu.
Dilan placed her drink against the bar, turning her head to face him. “Seeing as you’re here, I’ve got to agree with you there.” She let out a laugh, shaking her head slightly at the sight of his smirk. She couldn’t deny that he was as attractive as he was bold. “What can I do for you, Rafe?”
" dil, please, can you STOP looking at me like that ?? " thomas groaned into the open mouth of his beer mug before pouring the stale contents down his throat, chugging desperately, scrunching his lids to relieve himself of the humiliation that came as a result of her knowing gaze. maybe telling dilan he had . . . reconnected with his ex-girlfriend was a bad idea. nowadays, it felt like everything thomas did was a BAD IDEA.
after swallowing harshly, the man groaned, pressing the heel of his hand between his eyes and rubbing ferociously at where his muscles at tightened in what felt like a permanent furrow of the brows. " seriously, i already feel shitty enough. i don't need your judgement, okay ?? "
“Looking at you like what? I always look at you like this.” Her voice was filled with sarcasm, they both knew she was lying. Dilan shook her head at him, slowly sipping on the drink in front of her while she witnessed the embarrassment take over his features. “Oh I’m not judging, I’m just wondering how you end up inside of someone by accident?” She teased, only being this blunt with him because she cared. “Honestly Tommy, how is someone so pretty and so dumb at the same time? Your talent is wasted.”
