* 𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍

[yascmins]

hold on, wasn’t that just— i swear i just saw [ YASEMIN KAPLAN ], they sure look a lot like [ ESRA BILGIÇ ] from afar. can you believe they are a [ TWENTY EIGHT YEAR OLD CIS FEMALE ] that works at [ KAPLAN ENTERPRISES ] as a [ CORPORATE LAWYER ]? im not surprised, they’ve been in town for [ SEVEN YEARS ] and are often seen in [ SOUTHERN CORAL GABLES ]. although they are IMPATIENT & CONCEITED, rumor has it they can be RELIABLE & ELOQUENT. no one really knows what goes on in their head, but they tend to hum the lyrics to [ PRETTY WICKED THINGS BY DAWN RICHARD ] while in public. do you think they want to rule the world as well? i guess we’re about to find out.

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 | 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒 | 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 / 𝐓𝐀𝐆

[yascmins]

𝐃𝐔𝐘𝐌𝐀𝐙, 𝐋𝐄𝐘𝐋𝐀.

Leyla had been friends with Yasemin for six long years. Not seeing her for about a month since her father died, certainly did hurt, but it would not end their friendship. She knew her friend was grieving and this simply was part of her grieving process. Leyla would be there for her when she wanted her back in her life. The good thing was that Isabella had no concept of time yet, and with the time gaps between visits with her father she was quite well adjusted to having time in between seeing people. The little toddler was just so happy to see the woman who was like an aunt to her, that she babbled excitedly and hugged Yasemin tightly. The smile that bloomed on her lips was one of pure joy for she hoped that this would be the turning point and Yasemin would come back into their lives. Isabella was clearly enamored with her pseudo aunt and she was rubbing off on Yasemin. “Oh, is that all we need?” She asked with a laugh. “No more cotton candy, Dede and Grammy will be taking her home soon for bed. But we can get some more glow sticks.” Getting to the stall, they stood in line and Leyla pulled out her wallet. “We were just with Jackson, actually. We spent all night with him, but we were headed to meet my parents so they could take her home.” Before Yasemin could try to stop her, she leaned over and hugged her friend. “I’ve missed you too, by the way.” 

“ 𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐒𝐒, ” she mused, nodding along with leyla’s decisions. the line for the glow sticks was a little longer than yasmine had both hoped for and anticipated. surely people had had their fill by now? apparently not. of-course they were going to spend time with jackson; he was bella’s father, after all. still, she had nothing against her friend’s ex, for she was of the opinion that it was leyla’s call to make— on his presence in her and isabella’s lives. because yasemin was in no position to dislike him due to his thieving activities. the crimes of her family’s empire by far outweighed anything that jackson was involved in, at least to her knowledge. other than that, she was also rather indifferent to him, as she was to most people. nor was she particularly... welcoming, or warm. again, similar as she was to most people. “ i’m sure bella loved that, ” she gave the toddler the best expression of excitement she could muster at the moment before leyla had enveloped her into a hug. one that she was in need of, even if she didn’t show it. “ so did i. ” it was true. and even if it was better for the mother-daughter duo not to be anywhere near anyone bearing the surname kaplan, she also wasn’t going to hurt them by displaying outright coldness in order to achieve the distance required. at least not in front of isabella. “ things are just a bit... ” she gave a short sigh, “ you know, right now. ” addressing the issue without explicitly addressing it— skirting around it; this was unlike her and she knew it. after having purchased the glow sticks, she carried on holding the little girl in her arms. who knows when she’d be able to do so again? “ highlight of my evening, this, ” she said, referring to the grin on bella’s face.

[intangled]

She’s the kind of girl the Arctic Monkeys write songs about. Dangerous, smart, and gets what she wants.

things I’ve been told in class (via aueful)

[yascmins]

𝐀𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐘, 𝐘𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐅.

yusuf life had started rocky, the people that gave him life decided that they did not want him &. threw him away. lucky his parents, the ones that gave him everything he could have ever wanted &, more. those parents were everything that he could ever wanted &. just like that, they were gone as well &. he had to learn how to stand up for himself. turning to look at her, smiling as she approved of his choice of liquor ❝ you know, i only give out the best baby . ❞  he muses towards her with the same smiled tainted on his brims, sitting beside her , he hands her the cup but her questions made the smile on his brims fade.  does it ever change ? he knew grief all too well. ❝ for people like us ? no i don’t think it does.  ❞ he takes a sip of the drink &. lets grassy hues scan her features  ❝ when my parents died. i don’t think i ever felt so alone. i didn’t only lose my father, the man who taught me everything but i also lost my mother. i don’t have that anymore &. i am not going to tell you that the pain goes away, because it doesn’t. ❞ he warns her as he takes another sip, never had he ever said this to anyone. ❝ the pain stays there but it’s not as bad as it was at the start &. when you have people to lean on it get’s easier. i had you &. kaan &. burak . who was like a second father to me. even koray was nice to me for a while .  ❞ he says with a chuckle as he leans in and grabs yas’s hand in his  ❝  this too shall pass.❞  he says as he looks at her ❝  Ne zaman birine ihtiyacın olursa, her zaman senin için burada olduğumu unutma.❞

𝐘𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃 of the drink he poured for her, placing it on the table, untouched. it remained there as she kept her eyes on yusuf while waiting for him to speak, hoping that his response would provide some... clarity to the haze in her mind. no, i don’t think it does, he said, which only reaffirmed her own feelings— that the hole in her heart wouldn’t heal; it would simply disguise itself by enveloping the ditch with veils. which wasn’t too dissimilar to the present. the front that she was displaying, putting her pain and grief aside, would become a constant in her life from now on. when he mentioned the time his parents died, the memory of it appeared at the forefront of her mind. how awful it was, how they tried to support him out of it. and when he mentioned koray’s change in behaviour, she couldn’t help the hint of a smile that graced her lips for a moment. “ i remember that, the infamous pause. ” yasemin kept her gaze as he took her hand in hers, focusing on that while he spoke lest his words cause a breakthrough in her armour. “ teşekkür ederim, biliyorum. ” she believed and appreciated it, too. while she did not regret being truthful in yusuf’s presence, the need to divert the conversation away from the tone it had quickly taken cropped up. “ besides, i can’t leave you to drink all of that by yourself, ” she mused, nodding in the direction of the top shelf before releasing her hand from his. she picked up her drink, taking a generous swig from it. “ although kaan could help, too— but this one has my name on it, ” she said. with her free hand, she pointed at the bottle he’d opened, that was sitting on the table.

[yascmins]

𝐃𝐔𝐘𝐌𝐀𝐙, 𝐋𝐄𝐘𝐋𝐀.

&

Since Yasemin’s father died, she felt her friend pulling away. Leyla wasn’t aware of the true nature of his death, only thinking as the general public that the patriarch of the wealthy family had died from a heart attack and natural causes. She’d tried to be there for her friend in the moment of her grief, but she only thought of it as normal grief at losing her father. If she needed to pull away to deal with her grief than Leyla would support her. Still, she couldn’t deny how her heart soared at seeing her friend again in the crowd. Isabella clearly felt the same as the little girl gave a squeal and cried out for her Auntie Yes. The other woman’s real name was too hard for the toddler, but Leyla found the whole thing adorable. Reaching out for Yasemin with her grabby little hands, Leyla struggled to keep her daughter in her arms. “Yes we have, but someone is excited to see you.” Leyla laughed and offered Isabella to her friend. All she wanted to do was to wrap her friend up in a tight hug and tell her that she would always be here for her, even after her grief and no matter if she needed space, she’d be there after she was ready once more. 

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐑 that isabella had coined for her always brought a smile to her lips. it was no different now, except there was still a slight hesitancy in her disposition that the small girl thankfully would not be able to pick up on. yasemin took little bella into her arms, giving her a short but tight embrace before she held onto her. if she had only seen leyla once, briefly, since her father’s death... a longer period of time had passed since the last time she’d seen the toddler. “ i can tell, ” she chuckled briefly, a smile lingering on her lips afterwards as she listened to isabella’s excited rambles, with undivided attention of-course. then yasemin turned her gaze to her friend to relay the little madam’s demands that were tacked on at the very end, “ —we need more glow sticks. and cotton candy. ” a little tug on her blazer prompted her to add: “ and fries and a drink, too. ” thinking it would be better for them to busy themselves with fulfilling bella’s requests so that there would be less time to touch on the elephant in the arena, she gave leyla a nod in the direction of stall carrying glow sticks. “ what’ve you been upto? ” she asks as they begin to walk, filling the silence quickly with a query of her own before the other woman could do so.

[dizi-maniac]

[yascmins]

𝐊𝐀𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍, 𝐊𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐘.

“I suppose it means we think more alike than we realize,” Koray would’ve been taken aback by the voice but there were only a few individuals that knew how significant this spot was to their family. Turning his stare from the waterfront was practically mechanical yet the pull of humor on his lips felt more genuine than ever. How easily they took advantage of what little time they had with their father but no one could have predicted the tragedy that struck their family blind. There was nothing more to do but collect the shattered pieces of their lives — moving on in an elegant fashion of unity. “Dilan and I debated on whether or not I could wear trousers to the beach for at least an hour,” Koray muttered an explanation while he looked over the causal outfit he wouldn’t have opted for if he weren’t trying to blend in with the mass of residents near them. Not that the male expected anything but her reasoning but an underlying concern for how she managed to handle it all spoke outwardly. “Almost everything will work again even if you unplug if for a few minutes, including yourself,” An hour to change — not engrossing herself in a mountainous pile of paperwork on an off day, any for of rest was crucial during a time like this. Without it how did they expect to prevent their lives from imploding any further? If it wasn’t their thoughts, it turned out to be their responsibilities acting as a roadblock on their path to find some sort of calm in a raging storm. “One night of fun won’t kill us, I hope,” 

𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐃𝐈𝐃, in essence. even though yasemin did not share the same... path as her siblings, she was not wholly different to them either. there was also the matter that this was a heavy, shared loss. shaking her head at his words, a bemused expression covered her features. “ i mean— you could have, if they were linen or cotton. but i suppose the shorts were a safer bet. ” in one sense, so was the blazer hung over her shoulders; a choice made out of some need to shield herself. not that she, herself, was aware of that reasoning when she picked it. again, that had been her subconscious speaking. “ tried, tested, and failed. maybe i’m due a software update, ” yasemin said. even if her outward appearance did not show it, it felt like she was going to be stuck in this loop forever. which was not only damaging to her person, but also dangerous. she needed to put an end to it— but how? a short laugh escaped her lips, devoid of any real joy. “ amen to that, ” she agreed. and even if it were not particularly fun, one night off was something they deserved. and needed, after the hell they had been put through. “ have my nieces been enjoying themselves, at least? ” she asks, though had complete faith in her  brother for not allowing their time to be tainted by his thoughts and feelings. koray was good at that; he would lead them out of this. “ i’ve spent most my time near the food and drink, ” more so drink, “ so i haven’t had the chance to fulfil any wishes yet. ”

[yascmins]

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑: leyla duymaz ; @leyladuymcz​​ 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: altos del mark park ; glow in the park event

𝐈𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 one person she was sure to bump into at this event, it would be leyla. well, two people— leyla and isabella. after what happened to her father, yasemin had distanced herself from the other woman. if it was dangerous for them to be associated ( with leyla’s lack of awareness to the ongoings in the city ) before, it was lethal now. and she could not afford for them to be caught up in the mess. she was not going to lose someone else. thus, as a preventative measure, she thought it best to ease out the friendship. and now, she saw the mother-daughter pair a few steps away. before she could react, isabella had spotted her. and when her face lit up, yasemin couldn’t help but smile back before looking up at leyla. “ hey, ” she nodded. “ —have you both been enjoying yourself? ” the awkwardness of not having spoken in close to a month drew up an invisible barrier between them. at least on her part, for she was the perpetrator. 

[yascmins]

𝐀𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐘, 𝐘𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐅.

he smiled as he saw her &. shrugged his shoulders at her comment ❝ eh, i’ve been called worse.  ❞  he muses towards her with a smirk tainted on his features. he was much more than the owner of wynies but regardless this was his cover for the oh so many things that he was in charge of. ❝  why does that not surprise me ? ❞ he inquired her as he turned to his employee ❝ take over.  ❞ he says as he hands him the rag &. makes his way around grabbing yas by her hand &. leading her to the back where his office was. it didn’t take long, closing the door, he scourges through his top shelf  ❝ i’m thinking some  LOUIS XIII COGNAC. ❞ he says as he holds the bottle as if he was in a commercial. placing in on the table as he cracks it open, he turns to look at her ❝  so how’s everything been, really ? ❞ 

𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 come as a shock. while she kept out of the organisation’s affairs, she was still very aware of how that life was lead. what one saw, did; what was said and done to you, if given the chance. “ i’d be offended if it did surprise you. ” not really but it was worth a light scoff. yasemin followed his lead to his office, and wasted no time dropping her bag on a chair once they were inside. she chuckled briefly at yusuf’s stance as he informed her of what he had picked out. “ good choice. but i wouldn’t expect anything less, anyway, ” she shrugged. a short sigh left her lips at his question. how had things been, really? “ dreadful, ” she nodded, “ but you already knew that. ” one wouldn’t be able to tell, but her calm disposition did not come to her as easily. her emotions were looking to rush to the surface. “ does it ever change? ” she asks.

[yascmins]

𝐆𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐊, 𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐀.​

“Don’t let me first win trick you, it’s probably fools luck,” Aurora was quick to correct Yasmine. She had been decent at similar games like beer pawn and well, it was basically the same concept? Except, there was more at stake for the prize of overpriced and low budged stuffed animals. “Shit, I think you gotta knock down at least three pins? The more you knock down, the bigger the prize. You know, my offer still stands. Free food is free food, dude.”

“ 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 about that? ” three was doable. more was on the cards, too. but at her offer, she shook her head. “ no, that’s okay— i had something to eat earlier. thank you though, ” she nods. what she had earlier was a snack, but yasemin was not in the mood to eat anything else, nor would she accept the offer. it was not a reflection on the other woman, as she would do the same with any other strangers at this moment ( and even prior to the situation ). “ how many tries have we got? ” she turned to the facilitator. ten was his prompt response. he had the tell-tale signs of a liar, but she brushed it off. she failed another shot, but got the next one in. “ at least they’re getting a prize. any of them pointed anything out to you? ” yasemin inquired, aware that the toys could easily just be bought and handed over but there was something about winning being more satisfying. for most children it was limited to games such as these and while the stakes were higher in what she dabbled in, she was comfortable with accommodating kids when the situation called for it. they were just children, after all.

[diablocodys]

they say the wicked grow thorns but so do the cunning her smile was entrapment  it was poisoned honey

long live the queen | a.m (via sansaloyalist)

[yascmins]

𝐊𝐀𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍, 𝐊𝐀𝐀𝐍.

he can’t help but let a small chuckle escape past his brims, it didn’t matter how much of a sour mood that he was in, for some reason his sister’s could always get him out of the funk that he was in. ❝ i don’t think i ever could.  ❞ &. he was surely in that bunch of people that could not say no to his sisters, he starts to walk side by side with her. her inquiry causes a shrug of his shoulders ❝ well, i guess i have to enjoy the little moments in life, we don’t know how many of those we might have left. ❞ he knew that his sisters &. brother knew how guilty he felt for what he had said to his father prior his death. some reason he blamed himself from his death &. even breaking up with kaci really had him in rock bottom ❝ plus, when have i ever been able to say no to you ? ❞ 

𝐘𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍 𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀 triumphant nod, “ thats what i thought. ” his words caused her throat to tighten slightly and she coughed quietly to clear it, though it was not as inconspicuous as she intended. the memories of that day threatened to cloud her mind, alongside how she found a scattered kaan, wrapped in guilt, shortly after. the state that he had brought himself and his apartment to had distressed her greatly. this was not the place to relive any of that, and so she chose to hum in response. anything more than that would not bode well for her composure. “ touché, ” she said, a small smile on her lips. “ so, tell me about your week, but feel free to leave out the boring parts. and of-course, as always— anything gory. ” anything to keep them occupied and away from the one conversation that would bring the siblings nothing but more pain. besides, she genuinely wanted to get an insight into what he was doing without keeping tabs on him.

[yascmins]

𝐊𝐀𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍, 𝐊𝐀𝐀𝐍.

the amount of love that he had for his siblings was unmatched but at the same time after his father’s death, he had decided to keep his distance, his own demons were brewing something powerful &. he wasn’t sure how bad it would once he finally snapped. ❝ i don’t think i’m ever wrong .❞ he admits cockily as he looks at his sister, trying to give her his best smile that he could fathom. he hears her inquiry &. he shakes his head  ❝ honestly? no. i don’t think that yus can really say no to you or dilan .❞ he confesses with a chuckle escaping past his brims. hearing how she would have to bribe him causes him to roll his eyes in annoyance ❝ alright, alright . let’s go.  ❞  he says as he snakes his arm around her shoulders. 

“ 𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐆𝐄𝐓 carried away, ” she ribbed, her smile becoming wider once kaan’s features sported one. what was behind them wasn’t a topic either of them wanted to touch, not here at least. “ find me someone who ever could. ” for those that had the world in their palms, never took no for an answer. yasemin was glad to have convinced him, and to be leaving the noise behind the beach area. of-course, due to her heels she had been careful not to step near parts where there was sand, and did the same as they walked away, too. looking over at her brother as they made their exit she asks, “ is there a reason you agreed so quickly or is it just my lucky day? ” 

[yascmins]

𝐀𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐘, 𝐘𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐅.

˛ ⠀ ⠀ *   location  ──   glow in the dark park event. 

this festival certainly meant a lot for yusuf, simply because it was a way to keep himself busy &. the kaplans needed this. after burak’s death, it just seemed that everyone was trying their best to keep everything afloat. making his way out his office &. into the back of the bar he spots the brunette ❝ well, if it isn’t my favorite girl ! ❞ he says with a small smile on his brims, throwing a clean rag over his shoulder as he looks at her ❝ what’re we drinking today, sevgilim ? ❞

  ⌜  closed     starter    ⧽    @yascmins​    ⌟

𝐀 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 on her mouth, yasemin approached the bar. “ and there’s my favourite bartender, ” she jested. when out in public, a small number of people were known to have a decent selection of alcohol at the establishments they owned, yusuf being one of them. “ a bottle of your strongest. something that can wash this whole thing down. ” the event, that was. for it would do little to aid with her otherwise turmoil. “ —from where you keep the best stock. ” because it certainly wasn’t in view. drumming her manicured nails on the bar top, she adds: “ other than that, surprise me. but also don’t make me regret it? ” she winced momentarily.

[theroning]

Closer (dir. by Mike Nichols, 2004).

[yascmins]

𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎, 𝐊𝐘𝐋𝐀.

KYLA EYED YASEMIN IN amusement as the woman inspected her drink. She was either very particular about how her drinks are made, or she was paranoid that she was next on the hit list. Which in truth, wasn’t an absurd fear to have. The two leaders of the leading crime organisations in Miami had just been murdered, that was enough to put anyone on edge because right now, it meant someone or something else had one up on all of them.

“ All the while doing nothing for us. ” Kyla notes, her tone showing no sign of amusement in this. “ Or are they expecting we’ll do all the work for them? ” she scoffs. That would be an easy win for the law enforcement and the government if the organisations did all the work, and then they swooped in at the end to take all the credit. 

“ 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘— when the lip service gets them the votes anyway? ” if she was not wholly opposed to such useless wheels in the system, she would admire them for gaining so much by giving so little. no fear or money involved, just false promises. it was genius. “ that... would not surprise me, ” she replied. but with the organisations not willing to let one up the other, there was no chance of them playing into the hands of the self-proclaimed good guys. it had happened and was happening in other cities. but those families were different. here, those that did not bow in front of one another in their world would rather die than bow before the government, or law enforcement. “ but you and i both know that those expectations are futile. ” they were on one page about that, if nothing else.

[yascmins]

𝐊𝐀𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍, 𝐊𝐀𝐀𝐍.

things had been preferably bad since his father’s death &. due to this celebration he had been pushed out to go. he was always the life of the party but it all seemed like it really hadn’t been worth it. he’s leaning against the bridge, chocolate hues focused on the lights, brims pressed together as he hears a too familiar voice. ❝ kız kardeş ❞ he says as he wraps his arm around her, his breath smelled of bourbon &. mint, due to the gum that he had been chewing. ❝ question is , what doesn’t give you a headache, yas ?  ❞ he inquired with a tilt of his head.  ❝ how many drinks have you had, i might have to tell yus to start cutting you off. wouldn’t want you skinny dipping in miami beach.  ❞ 

𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 embrace, taking solace in the fact that while burak’s death had devastated them, the bond of the kaplan children didn’t fracture, nor did they disperse. they were there, united. “ you’re not wrong there, ” yasemin admits with a light chuckle— brief, almost unable to detect unless one was stood close to her like kaan was. she narrowed her eyes at his query over her alcohol intake. “ do you honestly believe that would ever happen? besides, i can cut myself off. ” and that point hadn’t arrived yet, for a number of reasons. “ now are you coming, or do i have to bribe you? ” with what, she didn’t know. but they could discuss that later. not that she would ever refuse her younger brother of anything.