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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 20 hours

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She tried not to flinch when she first heard his scoff. To not show the hurt that crossed her face for a split second there. She tried so hard to remain as calm and neutral as possible. Even though it was admittedly hard. After all, this was the man she loved. And frankly, she was worried that she wasn't comforting him the way he needed. That he only felt worse instead of better. That whatever was weighing down his heart only felt heavier right now, not lighter. Of course, she knew that she wasn't the sole reason nor way for him to feel better. That wasn't productive nor healthy. But she wanted to help him. However that may be.

So she kept caressing him. Whether that was running her fingers through his hair or tracing the tips on his back in little zigzags or other shapes. Whether that was kissing his head or speaking in soft, soothing tones. Whether that was hugging him for as long as he wished or simply holding his hands. Whatever she could do to help bring some kind of comfort to him while she waited for him to confess what happened, she would do it. Even if it took a moment longer. Even if they stayed there sitting for hours before he was ready, smoke some shisha and eat some food beforehand, she was in.

The last thing she wanted to do was make him feel like he was on his own. That she wasn't by his side. Lord knows that that wasn't the case, nor ever would be.

"What?" Her jaw slacked as she listened. Asli's dark brown eyes grew wide and for a moment, she felt joyful but also slightly confused about the Roman part. Within that moment, she was ready to rejoice over his reunion with his family and ask if he wanted to invite them over for dinner. Have the Amethyst family back together again, maybe see if Antoine was also back in Providence Peak, and be together again. Maybe introduce them to Rhiannon and Alexandria, their nieces. For just a moment, Aslihan was excited and happy for her partner.

The look on his face dimmed that, though. And the more that Elijah spoke, the more her heart began to grow heavy. Of course, she always wondered why his old bandmates weren't around. Why she never heard about any updates concerning them or why she hadn't met any of them over the years. She always assumed that they were busy, that they were also moving on with their lives after the accident and disbandment. Never would she have expected this outcome. Nodding as she listened, she frowned slightly and her eyebrows furrowed. "I... Wow. Sweetheart... I'm so sorry." The curator sighed softly. She held no right to judge, not after everything with Alex and Atlas. But she wasn't judging him either. It had been a messy, heartbreaking situation, and she couldn't blame him for needing to escape. Granted, it was the most ideal way. But she could understand why. The thing was that: she could understand Kaya and Roman's frustrations as well.

Though it felt like her breath had been stolen from her as Elijah continued on. A soft 'oh' leaving her lips as she watched him for a moment. Her features completely void of any emotions. While she knew that Harrison's death impacted him greatly, never in all these years had she questioned why. She tried not to ask too many questions or prod the man before her, in fear of hurting him or it being too much. Yet Eli loving Harry...

"... To be with him...?" Her words were a soft whisper, yet saying them felt like a thousand stabs to her heart. She never tried to imagine who Eli's first love was. Hearing about his past relationships, she always wondered if maybe she'd been his first. She hadn't expect it hurt so much when realizing that she'd been wrong. Or to suddenly have an influx of questions course to her mind as she took the news in and looked at him, questions only made her heart heavier.

But this wasn't about that nor her. No, they can come back to this at another time. Right now, her priority still was to comfort him and to be there for him. She can let her mind be flooded with the questions and what ifs later. The Egyptologist cleared her throat before shaking her head, leaning in so that she could cup his cheek with her hand and guide his face up so that he could look at her. "Neither of those things are true," she told him. "You... You made a choice, love. It may not have been the best choice, but you made it. It's in the past now. But you have the future to work towards with them. You have a whole future that you could have with them. And I think that you should work on that and mend things with them. I... I think that you should tell them. I'm sure that they would understand, especially Kaya more than anyone. You both... You both lost the man you loved. If anyone would understand, it would be her. It might not be easy, but it'll be worth it."

She scanned his features for a moment. Caressing him softly before continuing, "You lot were a family. You are still a family. That will never change. I may not have known him, but I know that seeing you three like this would've broken his heart. It doesn't matter what should've been done differently in the past; That can't be changed now. What matters is what can be done now to mend things for a better future. And I believe that the three of you owe it to yourselves, to each other, and to the man you loved and lost and who loved all of you back, to at least try. Please... Please try. I'm sorry that you've been in pain over this for so long. I truly am." ||📜@elifalvey

The fifth year anniversary of the accident that had changed Amethyst’s life was merely looming over Elijah’s head, meaning that it was only a matter of time before the usual deprecating thoughts started to seep through the cracks of his personal defenses. It had always happened around this time, when June inched closer and closer on the calendar and memories of Harrison, happy and smiling and alive, managed to occupy a larger space in his mind than they did in the colder months. He always did his best to drown them out, in previous years, throwing more things on his plate to distract himself from the ‘what if’s that would haunt him in his sleep; what if they never added that extra show, what if the van had gotten stuck in traffic, what if they’d just switch seats.

It was undoubtedly exhausting going through such a routine each year, knowing that he would be stuck with this mental plague for the rest of his life. However, selfishly, with the addition of Rhiannon, he thought that he’d be able to avoid the pattern this year. He had his little girl to focus on instead, who didn’t deserve an absentminded and distracted father, period. Clearly the universe — Roman and Kaya, more specifically — had other plans, reemerging in Providence Peak to lead the spiral in a completely different direction: what if he had just stayed.

He never allowed himself to go down that particular train of thought before, believing that if he was confident enough in his decision to leave, then all of the nasty aftermath of such wouldn’t hurt him; he could block them all out of his life, ignore every stupid internet article about theirs, and heal. It was why he was so headstrong when confronting both of his bandmates, refusing to climb out of the hole he’d dug for himself as he continued to burrow further and further down. He couldn’t handle the possibility that the choice he’d made was a bad one, that perhaps Roman was right and he was cruel, that perhaps Kaya was right and Harrison would hate him for it. That regardless of what was said, he’d never really know.

In the comfort of his own home, his ideology started to crumble. Both of their voices rang out so clearly in the front of his mind that he found himself scoffing at Aslihan’s attempt at comfort, to absolutely no fault of her own. In any other circumstances, there was a chance that her words would mean something, despite the fact that she’d never met the man who caused all of this. Unfortunately, it was simply ironic now. No, he could hate me. No, he never loved me. What I’ve done could have changed everything. Please, just hear me out . . . don't hate me, too.

He shook his head.

“I . . . I saw my bandmates. Um — K-Kaya today, and Roman . . . a few months ago.” He rubbed the back of his neck, the sweat from his palm leaving a rather cool sensation. His voice was trembling. “I haven’t really, uh . . . mentioned them before. We — um. Didn’t really leave off on good terms?” His chuckle was dry as he tried to navigate through what he needed to say. His eyes were still lowered, purposefully avoiding her gaze on the off chance that he’d find disappointment there too; he wouldn’t be surprised, if that were the case. “The last I saw them, it was . . . uh, after . . . everything, I guess. A few years ago. I —” He winced. “I just needed to get out. The weight of it all felt like it was crushing me and the only thing that I could think to do was leave —” he spoke quickly, despite the uncertainty still lining his tone. “But they . . . um. Don’t . . . see it, y’know, the same way. They kept saying that I abandoned them. They don’t understand.”

He expelled a sigh. “I can’t make them understand. Losing him — Harry — it was hard, for - for all of us, but I —” Swallowing thickly, he finally looked up. “I loved him. I . . . loved him. I - I - I spent years, decades, loving him, wanting him, wishing more than anything to just —” Tears had begun to well in his eyes again and he clenched his fist. “I don’t know.” It came out dejected, in a whisper, like it all didn’t matter now. He supposed it didn’t.

“I never told anybody. Especially not them . . . Roman is just, Roman — and Kaya, she . . . or, they, y’know. It was complicated.” Complicated being the best term to describe the all-encompassing whirlwind that was her relationship with Harrison. There was a long pause. “It doesn’t matter now. They won’t — I can’t,” he settled on. “He called me cruel. She said that he’d hate me. Maybe they’re both right.”

( @draslihanxfahri-bailey )

#( interactions. )#( ch. elijah falvey. )#tw: death #tw: grief #tw: car accident #death tw #grief tw #car accident tw

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 23 hours

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While she would've been more than understanding, the woman was happy to hear the duo accept her offering. "Perfect! I have some baggies of strawberries, blueberries, and pomegranate arils; some chocolates; I have some homemade hummus and aish baladi; and I got some baggies of pistachios and almonds. Please, pick and have has much as you want." Her lips curled into a smile at Kaya's words. While she knew French, she understood wanting to help immerse your child in speaking English in a primary English-speaking country. With Alex, she insured that her daughter already knew Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, Ladino, Greek for her uncle, and English, primarily the former two and the latter. Fortunately, her eldest had a knack for languages like her and her family. Now having spent the past few years learning Japanese and Spanish as well.

Yet it was easy to forget about the treats as soon as she realized who she was speaking to. While all her research didn't mention Iris once, she learned about the girl from Eli. It felt wrong, meeting her before he could mend things with Kaya and Roman. To look at her and realize that Harrison's eyes were staring right back at her. God, how much pain has Kaya been with that realization every day? How much would it hurt Eli to see the man he loved living on through Iris? It felt unfair. It was heartbreaking. And she forgot how to breathe again.

Kaya's fear was understandable. Yet it didn't stop her from feeling worse, especially once the girls began to pick up on the tension. The curator winced as Alex turned to her. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, how she was also becoming concerned about the whole situation. "Sorun değil," she told her softly. Giving her a gentle smile before kissing her forehead. Alex wrapped her arms around Asli, peaking over her shoulder back at Kaya while her mother held her. She looked back at the other, shaking her head. "Je suis désolé, je ne veux pas vous effrayer," she offered. Hoping, praying, that speaking in French could help in some form or way.

The last thing Aslihan wanted to do was make things worse. She wanted Kaya, Iris, and Roman to be a part of their lives. For Eli to work things out with his former bandmates and for them to be a family again. For the children to grow up together. For them to be a family together and put the past behind them. At least, for Harrison's sake. While she never knew the man, she was certain that seeing Amethyst like this would've broken his heart.

Alex looked back at her mother and she nodded. Smiling softly before saying, "Go play with her. We just need to talk for a moment. Everything's going to be okay." The seven year old didn't look convinced for a moment. Yet, looking between Asli and Iris, she soon nodded and let go of her mum. Moving back to her new friend and heading off with her to play. And as she looked back at Rhia, she was relieved to see that the baby had fallen asleep in her stroller. Leaving for things to be just between the two women. A conversation that was bound to happen; Just, not as soon as she was expecting.

She looked back at the drummer and winced at her words, moving her hands behind her back with one hand reaching up to hold her other arm. Trying to appear as open as possible to the other. "I'm sorry. I swear, I wasn't trying to scare you or Iris. I... I didn't know about everything until recently." Though, she felt shameful as she admit that. After knowing Elijah for nearly four years yet only just now learning the truth as to why he left Amethyst; She knew how bad that must look. She nearly let out a sad laugh at her words. God, if only she had shown up a year earlier. Then she might've known the struggles her and Eli faced once learning about their daughter. "Trust me, it wasn't an easy journey," she admitted softly.

Yet, would that only made this harder? After all, Kaya should've been there. Her, Harrison, Roman, and Toni should've all been there during the pregnancy, helping to calm down Eli with his fears and helping them. They should've been there from the beginning and see their niece grow up. That is... Assuming that her and Eli would've even had a chance to be together, considering his love for Harry.

The Egyptologist swallowed thickly. "He shouldn't have left the way he did. Losing Harrison... I can't imagine the pain you all experienced. Especially you." Especially Eli. "But, regardless, I'm sorry. I wish that things were still good between you lot. You're his family. Is... Is there any way to mend things? I know that it can't change the past, but it could lead to a better future, if possible." ||📜@kayadubois

Kaya grinned at the other woman as she scoured around her bag in search for treats, ignoring her daughter's eyes bulging open at the promise of sweets. "Oh, please, don't worry, we've just had a little snack ourselves." her daughter's eyes zeroed in on her at the refusal and were followed with the best attempt at puppy eyes she'd ever seen. She'd never in her life been able to deny those eyes anything, much less now when accompanied by Iris' pout. "...fine. Just one little snack, if you ask nicely." she saw her daughter open her mouth excitedly and raised a finger, cutting her off quickly. "In English, please" Iris could speak it, Kaya had made sure of it, but she knew her daughter, just like herself, resorted to the comforts of French more than she should. At times, the little girl would forget others around them didn't speak the language, and get fussy about being made to switch. Kaya could already see the frown begin to settle between her blonde brows, but Iris was saved by the bell, or rather, by the other woman's voice uttering Kaya's name.

Immediately, Kaya's casual arm around her child tightened, pulling Iris closer towards herself, her own body angling away from the stranger who said her name like she'd seen a ghost. This wasn't the way she'd get recognised by a random fan of the band, someone who might have been obsessed with her during her twenties, a crazed paparazzo. She couldn't place what this tone was, and that was even worse. She looked at the children, then back at the woman, searching for clues, anything that would tell her whether she needed to bolt out of the park, into her car and back to Maryland.

Iris was clearly picking up on her mother's anxiety because a small hand landed in her neck, snapping her eyes out of their darting and instead looking at her baby, who know looked worried, almost scared. Forgetting her previous request, she murmured. "C'est bon, ma chérie." she settled her child on her hip and stood up, trying to put some distance between the stranger and Iris, angling her away from the woman, who also mimicked her action and stood up, her hands careful, soothing. However, Kaya's eyes didn't miss how the other woman's widened upon landing on Iris and her frown deepened, mistrust glaring from her eyes. "Who are you." It wasn't even a question, it was almost a demand, a mother hiding her own fear for the sake of her child.

The answer came, and if possible, it made it all worse. Her eyes darted back to the toddler and the baby, who now looked confused back at her, and she realised she had seen them before at the Spring Extravaganza, laughing in Elijah's arms. Her brain whirled with information, trying to take it all in. The bigger child looked older than Iris by a few years, but the younger… The younger had features Kaya had seen before, and her eyes snapped back up to the woman, Elijah's girlfriend, who at the very least shared a child with him.

She swallowed, trying to find words, any words, she had to say to this woman, who, regardless of having done nothing to deserve it, immediately infused Kaya with a sense of dread. What had Elijah told her? She clearly knew who Iris was, if that stare she tried to hide was anything to go by, but what else? Did it matter? Elijah had deemed they all were dead for him, why should she care about any of these people?

The silence dragged on, uncomfortable, only broken when little Iris, tired of being upended from the floor and her own worries forgotten, whispered in her mother's ear. "Maman, veux descendre." the words snapped Kaya out of her reverie and she looked at the girl, realising she had no idea what was going on, just that her maman had suddenly freaked out and taken her away from her new friend. She cursed herself in her brain and quickly plastered a smile for her daughter's sake, squatting to put her down again. "Sorry, ma puce. Why don't you show your new friend your sand toys? They're back with your backpack." she gently shooed the two girls away, old enough to pick up on the tension between the two women.

Watching them leave, Kaya crossed her arms, unsure. How did she speak to Asli, when she could barely tolerate thinking about the man that linked them together? "I wish I could say it is nice to finally meet you, but I wasn't aware you existed until… well, until now." It wasn't exactly true. She figured there was someone, or had been someone, what with Elijah carrying two children around the other week, but having Asli standing in the flesh in front of her was jarring. She should have known this woman. She should have teased Elijah about liking her and not asking her out, befriended her in order to annoy him, told her embarrassing stories about her boyfriend in his terrible twenties. Instead, she had this. Resentment, pain, and, in the quiet recesses of her mind, envy. Because she had gotten to keep her friend, when she'd been forced to lose him.

Her eyes kept fleeting about, the girls, the baby, the ground. Asli's face. She was a beautiful woman, kind eyes, now looking concerned, and she couldn't meet them for too long. She wanted to get away, but Iris and Alex kept her rooted to the spot. She would not ruin this for her daughter. "Nice children. He always said he would never have them, but I didn't really know him all that well after all, so..." there was bitterness in her words, mostly towards herself, and what Asli represented, just by virtue of existing.

@draslihanxfahri-bailey

#( interactions. )#( ch. kaya dubois. )#pls forgive me for using google translate #i'm still new to french and mine is shite fdkjghkdjf

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 1 day

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Oh, well played, asshole. Well fucking played. And for a moment there, the curator had been ready to back off. To let him take the tenders. After all, it made her think of Richard. If her father had been sick, if he had been dying, she would've done anything and everything to make him happy. Grabbing his favourite food or...

Making it... You son of a bitch!

No, two can play this game. Asli took a moment, making her features fall before looking slightly pained. "You're a good son," she said. Giving him a soft smile before swallowing harshly. "Does he share them with you? My brother does with his son. He's still five and can't eat too much due to the spice, especially not without a lot of ranch, but he... H-He loves them so much, and... I-I'm, god, I'm so sorry."

It was easy to become choked up. For her eyes to become teary and for her to struggle to speak properly. After everything with Elijah and his reunion with his former bandmates and his confession about Harry, she's been on the verge of tears 24/7. However, she hadn't meant to use those tears for nefarious good reasons.

"I'm so sorry... My nephew is sick, too. Stage four leukemia. We thought he was doing better a few months ago, but... I'm sorry. I understand, truly. Family's everything, especially when any moment could be your last with them. I'm... I-I'm sure I can find something else for them. After losing Dylan and then his job, I know that he's terrified of losing James. It's just... It's just such a heartbreaking time right now. I'm sorry you're struggling, too." Sniffling, she wiped away her tears. Giving Leon one last gentle smile. "I really hope your father enjoys the tenders tonight. We'll figure something else out tonight, I'm sure of it." ||📜@leonwozniak

maybe if leon had a clearer mind he’d notice how the woman in front of him greatly resembled the one on eli’s lockscreen. he barely ever looked it at, only had a vague idea of what she looked like. but his friend’s elusive wife wasn’t much on top of his head either as him and the thief locked eyes.

“i don’t care about your brother, those are for my dying father.” leon, too, could dive into dramatics. and though he wasn’t far from the truth ((everyone would face mortality eventually, and though Joe was indeed sick, he still had a few years ahead) it was a disturbing thing to say aloud. his mother would probably berate him for acting so childish, especially in a space so public, and spewing lies about his father. something about bringing curses to the family or some folkloric superstition she obsessed over.

“also i was here first, you just came running out of fucking nowhere,” he argued, narrowing his eyes at his opponent, trying to find a way to make it out of this altercation without bloodshed. the nuggets were really important.

leon attempted a different strategy than usual, lowering his voice and hunching a little to appear less combative. with a soft tone, he tilted his head to the side, saying, “on any other day i’d let it go, truly.” that was a lie, he would never let it go. anyone who knew him even slightly would tell you that. “but my father is sick,” that wasn’t a lie but it was a cheap shot. “and he really do want his favourite food in the whole world tonight.” that was a double lie; joe’s favourite was leon’s grandmother’s pierogies ruski. but the woman didn’t know that. didn’t have to.

#( interactions. )#( ch. leon wozniak. )#tw: child illness #child illness tw #i fucking hate them oh my god skghkdfj

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 2 days

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Aslihan has never been able to handle seeing Elijah cry. To see him so upset and such agonizing pain that the only way to express it, to release it all, was for him to cry. For the anthropologist, it broke her heart. It has always been one of the most agonizing, most horrible things she's ever witness. Though, part of that must've come from the fact that the man has always tried to appear so strong in front of her. That he was unshakeable and capable of handling anything. While there was a part of her that appreciated him sharing his vulnerability with her, it was a double-edged sword. Though, at this point, they've learned to lean on each other more. To allow each other to see the parts of them that others don't witness.

After a little over a year and a half of being in a relationship, along with three and a half years of being friends, and now nearly ten months of being parents together, they've seen parts of each other that no one else have. Understood each other in such an unbreakable way, bonded to each other for the rest of their lives and impacted each other's hearts in ways that no one else could. So, perhaps she has become emboldened in the belief that there was nothing that Eli could say or do that would surprise her completely.

Her dark curls moved as she shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for," she whispered. Moving one of her hands to brush some of his hair away from his forehead so that she could lean in and kiss it. "They're just cigarettes, love. And we can put everything back together the way they were before. Or maybe even do something new; It's time for a refresh, huh? We can work on it together. It's okay."

If the curator could look back on this moment, she'd laugh sadly at her own naivete. How it'd been more than some silly cigarettes or a big mess that needed to be cleaned up. No, it was so much more. Though, perhaps she could argue that during that time, she truly believed that she knew everything about the man she called her partner. That if anyone would to ask her a question about Eli, that she'd be able to answer it honestly without needing to take a beat to think about what the answer could be. That she knew him in and out the same way she did.

After all: the woman hadn't realized how wrong she'd been. Or that there was still some things that she hadn't known about the man who captured her heart.

As she sat there, her fingers caressing him while she tried to comfort him with soothing words, she'd been certain that they could work this out together. The same way they've worked out other things together in the past. She'd been certain that this was going to be okay and that they'd be able to work things out, then be back to going about their life together as before. That maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to go back to thinking about their future together without any fear.

How naive she believe she was, once looking back to this moment.

"What?" Her brows furrowed, pulling back slightly as she got a look of her partner. How could anyone ever hate him? That felt impossible. Before she could even ask, he clarified who he was talking about. And her heart fell. "Oh, my love... No." Asli shook her head before she pulled him back in for a hug, sighing softly. "No, no, no. He could never hate you; He loved you. He loved you with all his heart. There's nothing you could've ever said or done that could've change that. Why do you believe that? Did something happen? Do you really miss him today?" ||📜@elifalvey

Stop, stop, stop. Stop fucking crying. That was the only thing that was going through Elijah’s head at first, his partner’s gentle voice approaching sounding instead like distant ringing. He didn’t want to cry. No, he had to stop, for this entire situation felt utterly ridiculous in his overly emotional mind, and he was sure he ought to look the part too. As she kneeled down in front of him, his second thought became, God, what does Aslihan think? If he were to look at her, he would see the utter confusion behind her eyes, mixed within the concern that she held for him. He couldn’t bring himself to raise his head, though, to see past his own tears. In fact, he could barely comprehend the sensation of her fingertips scratching lightly along his back, her arms wrapped around him the best they could.

“I - I . . . Sorry, I’m - I’m sorry.” I’m sorry for crying over cigarettes, I’m sorry for ruining the afternoon, I’m sorry for thinking about what Kaya had said, I’m sorry for not being stronger . . . he felt almost overwhelmed with options for what he could be apologizing for, wanting to convey everything and nothing at the same exact time. On one hand, she deserved every single possible explanation that he could ever give, the truth; on the other, he wanted to run, yet again, further stalling the inevitable that was this impending conversation by falling back on the easy answer.

Three years. Nearly four. That was how long he’d been avoiding this very moment, both unintentionally and absentmindedly over the course of his entire friendship-turned-relationship. It was borderline cruel, he knew that, to keep such a big part of himself from the woman who very quickly became his forever partner. However, as time went on, and as their lives became more and more intertwined, he still couldn’t find it within himself to say it all. To tell her that the death of Amethyst, of Harrison, meant the death of a piece of himself. That the accident was so much bigger than it ever could appear online, that there were details that buried themselves in his heart, that nobody else ever knew. That he wasn't just his best friend, that he was in love with him.

He only briefly considered doing so when Roman slithered his way back to Providence Peak, when the shoe initially dropped, though he found himself explaining away his string of bad days with vague details of ‘not sleeping’ and ‘Rhia troubles’ instead. Once the run-ins with his former bandmate became less frequent, he simply thought that the need had passed. His ‘sad man problems’, as Phoebe liked to call them, were stuffed away successfully. Of course, life could never be that easy for him, and thus the universe had presented him with the second shoe. Despite the fact that he should have expected such, he still managed to be utterly blindsided by Kaya’s return — which led them here, to him crying like a fucking baby, overwhelmed by this entire day, and completely unsure of what to say.

How should he even start? He stayed quiet for a long while, after the apology, both to process that question and to wipe away the tears until they were only remnants seeping into his skin. “I . . .” he started, lip quivering as he came closer and closer to saying anything of substance, his vision blurry and glued to the floor.

“I think he’d hate me.” He would have hated you for doing this to us. Kaya’s voice echoed throughout his brain in devastating clarity, despite the fact that the only clarification he provided to Aslihan was, “Harry.”

( @draslihanxfahri-bailey )

#( interactions. )#( ch. elijah falvey. )#tw: death #tw: car accident #death tw #car accident tw

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 3 days

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Sphinx Temple

You climb all the way to the top and that's when things get weird.

print here

#( likes & interests. )#sphinx sphinx sphinxxxxxxxx

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 4 days

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It sometimes amazed her how much has changed around Providence Peak since her and Alex first moved there. How at the beginning, she'd been simply a single mother who'd brought her daughter with her from London for a fresh start. Then, once news began to spread about who Alex's biological father is and the notorious reputation he held within the Colorado town, there'd been plenty of whispered and hushed judgements thrown her way. Now, after spending years living and working there, after becoming more and more a part of the community, there'd been less judgmental words tossed around about her and more people who tried to get to know her. It'd been a relief once that became the case.

Unfortunately, there were still a handful of those who had words to say about Atlas Williams, having their own assumptions about her and the seven year old. Yet things were better now. Alex had friends and was active in school and around town. Asli participated in many town events and even held some of her own concerning the museum she curated at. In spite of their rocky start, they were able to become at home in town. Which, only seemed to help and grow more once she began to date Eli and after they had Rhia. Though, with recent developments, there was a fear there that more things could end up changing. Things that she wished could stay the same. Or, as much as they possibly could, considering everything. She wanted her and Eli to work things out together. For him to be able to reconnect with his old band. For them to become a part of their family. For her to figure things out concerning the Aksoys and Baileys. For her to know that now she had knowledge about Harrison, that it won't change things entirely. That things will become better, not worse. She prayed for that so much she felt like her heart could very well burst.

But she was scared. No, more than scared: she was fucking terrified. After all, the curator was use to having constant changes in her life. Not always for the better. And, frankly, she couldn't help being scared that this could be one of those moments. That this could be one of those changes that changed for the worse. With the amount of what ifs that coursed through her mind, that fear seemed to only get worse and worse. Made it hard to breathe, to think about anything else, to relax and have belief that things could change for the better. That she is wrong. Because what if she's right?

She couldn't lose Eli. She couldn't lose her family. She didn't want to and she begged with everything she was and more that she wouldn't. Because she had no idea what kind of person she could become if she did.

Trying to focus on Rhia and setting her back in her stroller so that she could put some of her favourite snacks and her juice on the little tray, she looked up once she heard Alex. The Egyptologist beamed once she saw the two girls, giving a small wave before saying, "Hello there! You must be Alex's new friend." Her daughter had been quick to grab Rhia's juice from her baby bag to give to her sister when she heard another's voice. Chuckling, the brunette shook her head. Still focused on putting out her youngest's snacks to take a proper look at the other just yet. "No, no, it's alright! Alex loves making new friends and introducing them to her sister, I'm more than use to it. This is Alex, and this is Rhia. I'm Asli; It's nice to meet you both!" The seven year old waved at Kaya, whereas the nine month old was more shy. Using her blanket to hide her face for a moment. Asli chuckled before reaching into her snack bag. "Would you both like something to eat? I have a variety of snacks to shar-..."

Doctor Aslihan Fahri-Bailey was a scholar, a research. For a majority of her life, she has research thousands upon thousands of subjects. She has grown to recognize items, objects, places, and people fairly well. Especially after spending roughly a week going into overdrive with her research. And looking up, her voice faltered as one of the people she'd been researching stared right back at her. She could know those ocean blue eyes and golden blonde hair anywhere at this point. "... K-Kaya," she let out a breathy whisper. Her own features falling and her heart all but stopping. Was Roman with her or was it just her? Just her and... Her eyes widened as she looked back at the small blonde before back at Kaya. "I... I-I'm sorry, I..." She swallowed thickly before she carefully, slowly, stood up. Looking back at the other before saying, "I'm Eli's..." Girlfriend? Partner? Mother of his daughter, Rhiannon? Wife? "Girlfriend," she settled with. ||📜@kayadubois

Iris climbed up and down the playing structure of the park, up an down. Kaya's eyes followed her from a nearby bench, mind swirling in it's usual 4-way monologue. She took in her daughter's quietly content smile, happy to be allowed to clamber about after having been raised deep in the Appalachians with trees to get herself up all the time. She also took in how she didn't try to talk to other kids, happy to play make believe to her little heart's content. She knew this wasn't a bad thing, kids had rampant imaginations, and yet the heavy weight of apprehension settled into her chest. Was this her doing? Was her daughter never going to have friends her age because her selfish mother had hidden her in the wilderness and not socialised her enough?

It wasn't the first time she had these thoughts since moving back to Providence Peak. Roman's birthday had come and gone, and the invisible deadline she'd given herself to figure out what she wanted to do had been ignored with it. No news had been heard from the press, yet, she reminded herself, but she wasn't self-important enough to believe some random photographer would still be stalking a deserted house after nearly four weeks. She could come back. Probably. And yet. The thought made her heartstrings tug. Selfishly, because for the first time in years she had felt like she had someone in her corner, someone who understood her. But also, more importantly, because of the shiny pre-school that could be seen from her corner of the park. She knew the day she'd no longer be able to hide Iris would come, but she never knew how guilty she'd feel over having hidden her in the first place. Kaya had been scared, and broken, and so, so tender to the touch when Iris had been born. She could admit to herself, shame dripping from the sentiment, that Iris had been isolated not for her own good, but for her mother's grief. It was time to right that mistake, but somehow taking the final step and setting roots here, signing Iris up for school, felt insurmountable. There were still so many ghosts here, in the ground, and walking.

Her self-flagellating thoughts were cut short when she heard her daughter's peal of laughter. She realised she'd zoned out and scanned the park quickly until she zero'ed in on Iris, laughing as a girl a couple of years older appeared to be teaching her some clapping game. She had to fight the urge to cry in relief, hand gripping the bench's armrest tightly. She sometimes forgot that Iris was ten times better at things that her fearful mother gave her credit for, and her smile hurt her cheeks.

Iris spotted her and Kaya was quick to take a swipe at her eyes before waving at her. Her daughter pointed enthusiastically towards a bench with a woman holding a fussy toddler and then ran after the older girl, who'd started approaching whom Kaya presumed was her own mother. Not wanting the two girls to overwhelm the already busy mother she approached the little gathering, crouching down by the side of the bench to be eye level with Iris. "Petite, donne-leur un peu d'espace." she gently pulled her between her crouched legs and pressed a kiss to her blonde curls, turning instead to look at the woman. "Sorry for the children stampede, I think they got a little excited about the baby." she apologised, offering a smile. She should have felt a lot more awkward, but coasting of the success of Iris voluntarily playing with another kid made her care about very little else. Nobody had really recognised her anyway since she'd arrived, why would there be anything to worry about? They were just a regular mum and her little girl, nothing more, nothing less.

@draslihanxfahri-bailey

#( interactions. )#( ch. kaya dubois. )

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 4 days

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At first, she smiled softly once she saw him. Carefully shutting the door behind her, trying not to make too much noise for her niece and nephew's sake. But the woman winced after hearing his words. The insinuation behind them helped to form the already-coursing guilt to grow stronger. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Setting the drinks on the counter closest to him while a thin line pressed her lips. For thirty-two years, he has been her brother. They have been there for each other for everything. Yet, with having her sisters in her life, she wanted to try to find a way to have all three of them together. For them to possibly build a future together as a family. After all, she refused to have one yet not the other concerning the three. She just hoped that they were also all onboard with this as well. "Well, for your sake, here's hoping that they stay asleep a little longer. And coffee would be nice, thank you. I brought you some gifts. I know it doesn't make up for my tardiness entirely, but... I hope that it'll help." ||📜@theobailey

Theo had just managed to put the babies to sleep, in one of those rare occasions they did so at the same time. It seemed to him like both Leda and Lysander liked their me time with mommy and daddy, so they liked to take turns. And when they didn't, they were waking each other up by crying, so they didn't have to be alone in their misery. Theo could sort of understand where they were coming from. He too liked company. With Dylan out for a gallery emergency, he felt too alone. Asli had promised to come, and he wondered why she was taking so long. He walked to the kitchen and got himself a nice cup of coffee. His head snapped up when he finally heard his sister coming through the door. "Over here," he said, leaning against the counter. "I was getting worried—what happened? I'm sure your new siblings are fun, but..." He said in a tone that he hoped sounded more teasing than bitter. "Well, you were missing on some great heated up coffee Dyl made this morning. The twins are asleep—for now. So you also missed about five exciting diaper changes." He chuckled.

#( interactions. )#( ch. theo bailey. )

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 4 days

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She was careful not to choke on her food as she laughed, his reaction to her words tickling her as she saw his eyes widened. Yet, her features did soften. The woman could understand all too well the fear and anxiety of starting something new with someone. There were too many questions and fears that came with it, especially after having a fair share of heartbreak in the past. It wasn't easy. Often times, it was life-changing. But it didn't mean that it could be wonderful and exciting.

"I can't answer that for you," she stated after a moment. Having taken a sip of her drink before thinking. "I know I'm busting your balls, but seriously: if there's a part of you concerning this that thinks you should take things slow, then there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong if a part of you likes the pace you two are going at, either. Over all, though, I do think that you should talk with this girl and see where she's at as well with everything. You both could be on the same page. But I also don't want you to force yourself into doing something you're not comfortable with. You deserve to be happy, JJ. However that may be, whoever it may be with, wherever it may be at."

Happiness was a challenging goal to achieve, but could also be the easiest. She just hoped that he would take it instead of his fears getting in the way.

"Mm, that would make you one of the few," she joked. One day, she hoped, more and more Americans will learn. Though she knew that Atlas Williams would remain as one of the people who'd keep calling it "soccer" instead of the proper term. "Considering he knows how much it annoys me at this point, absolutely not. Fortunately for me, yet unfortunately for him, Alex has been using the proper name more and more. She's been referring to American football as pig-skin ball, or unkosher football, which is fitting."

Aslihan tried to be Wonder Woman. A superb mother, a wonderful girlfriend, a good daughter, sister, and friend, an excellent member of her Jewish community, a phenomenal curator. Having Phoebe as her assistant did help in many ways. Yet, she still tried to do it all. But she couldn't stop wondering if she could be doing more. Which, frankly, was a sentiment that she's dealt with all her life. Not exactly one that was pushed on her by others, per se, but by herself.

"Things are just so good with it all," the curator admitted. Turning her hand around so that she could squeeze James' back. "I want to be able to have it all, and more. My dreams are so massive. And Rhia's turning one in a few months, so maybe things will get easier. My family will always be my top priority, but I want to try to keep on doing what I'm doing. And the new wing's going to be opening soon, so that'll help as well. I'm just... I'm happy, James. I'm so happy." And that's what scared her: when could that happiness end? ||📜@jamesxreed

James looked at Asli with his mouth full of noodles. "That ish definitely not besidesh the point!" he exclaimed before swallowing his food. Heaving a sigh, the blond suddenly had flashbacks of his past two relationships, and while the last ended one better than the first, both took a pretty heavy toll on him emotionally.

"Yeah, I... should I be?" he asked honestly. Asli was one of the very few people he could be completely transparent with. The question seemed to flow from his brain right out of his mouth with no filter whatsoever. "Am I ready for this? Or should I rein it in?"

James almost spit out his food at Asli's exclamation. Shaking his head, he said, "Just an American with common sense. The sport that actually uses feet with a ball is deserving of the name 'football'." He raised an eyebrow at the other before saying, "You really think Atlas is going to be convinced to change his stubborn ways?"

It took a while for James to realize that as he dwelt on Asli's words, he had stopped eating. Though he could only imagine how fleeting it must be to watch your kids grow up, he also couldn't help but reflect on his relationship with Amelia and how long this rift between them had been there—and how long it would stay there. Or was this just how it's going to be from now on, the once inseparable Reeds ripped apart?

The professor shook himself back to Earth. "I guess in some way, it will be like a blink of an eye," he said. "But hey, being busy with the family is so much better than being busy with a job." James reached for Asli's hand and held it tight. "The museum can always get another curator, but the kids will always only have one mother."

#( interactions. )#( ch. james reed. )#lmao obvi this is still before shit hit the fan with the amethyst plot lolllll 🤡🤡🤡

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 4 days

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tom ellis appreciation: 1/ ∞

#( likes & interests. )#( ft. elijah falvey. )#( con. i got you and you got me // aslihan + elijah. )#oh my god he's so stinking cute and precious 😭#she's so in love with him good bye

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 6 days

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Hande Erçel x Pomellato ✨️

#( visage. )#my love mine all mine

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 8 days

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How does one prepare themself to comfort the person you loved before you realize just how much pain they're in? How do you take away their pain entirely, to heal them from the hurt they felt? You can't. Not entirely, not the way you wish. It takes time for a person to heal. To be able to breathe one day and realize that their chest felt lighter. To be able to think back to the catalyst of your pain and for it to not hurt the way it did before, that the pain has become duller and less tender. Of course, healing isn't linear. There are days where the pain felt just as fresh, tender, and earth-shattering as it had been at the very beginning. There are days where it was neutral and you didn't know how to navigate it.

To navigate your pain, it depends on the day. The curator knew that very well over the years. Yet she hadn't been prepared for Eli's pain to come in such high-speed. Everyone had their own demons, of course. After all, you never know what one could be facing. And, by this point, Aslihan had been certain that she knew everything that there was about Elijah. She knew that the bus crash had changed his life entirely and she knew that that could be something that still affected him to that day. How could losing your best friend to something so permanent and then losing your other friends not be? She understood entirely that it affected him. But… She hadn't known just how life-changing it all was. Or how this moment was about to become one of those moments where everything changed.

That was the thing about life-changing moments, though: you never know when to expect them or when/how they were going to happen. You never know what they could end up being. A year ago, they had a life-changing moment. Turning their friend-turned-relationship entirely on its axis with news about their daughter. While it ended up becoming a beautiful blessing, it hadn't been easy to navigate at first, especially that first month and a half there. Though, after them being able to turn things around and work everything out for their newfound family, she'd been certain that they could work out anything that life threw their way together.

That still didn't mean that it hadn't been jarring when everything changed. How she watched his features change once seeing the blue box. How he was so silent before he began to sob. Seeing him cry nearly made her cry; She hadn't realized until now just how painful it was to see the love of her life in pain. "B-Baby," she gasped softly. Getting up quickly so that she could hold him, resting her chin atop his head before kissing his head softly. With one hand running through his hair and the other caressing his back, her heart broke more and more with each bawl that came from the musician. What happened? What changed everything? She wanted to find out. She wanted to help him. "What's wrong, my love? I got you. I promise, I got you. No matter what… I got you, baby. What happened and what can I do to help?" ||📜@elifalvey

Once Elijah reached the top of the staircase, he lingered and released another breath from deep within his chest. He wished that he could explain why finding the stupid little blue pack of cigarettes meant so much to him, or at the very least say something more than that he ‘needed them’, if she were to ever ask. She deserved as much of an explanation as he could muster, not only because they were partners (the expectation to talk and open up being more unspoken), but because now she was the one who had to deal with the aftermath his tornado struck upstairs as well. However, the longer that he stood there, half debating on trekking back down to do so, he realized that was once again another thing he couldn't do.

Because if he did, then he’d have to explain a whole lot more, and he wasn’t entirely confident that he could do that, either. Images of himself came to mind, only he was about ten years younger and significantly more addicted, passing the damn things around like candy when he was particularly exhausted from being crammed into the claustrophobic studio space with four other bodies. Images of them came to mind, too, only four morphed into two and he was exhausted just from being around them, cracking open the window in the living room and smoking like it was some sort of crutch that would keep him sane until she went home to her own goddamn apartment. And finally, images of after, where the only thing that stopped from lighting one after the other was Cynthia, who snapped every last one in half when he couldn’t bring himself to do anything else. No, he couldn’t explain all of that. Not now. How was he meant to, when he didn’t even know where to start? How was he meant to, when he'd been lacking the ability to for years?

His hands were balled into fists before he could really realize it, though he forced himself to relax them as Aslihan met him by the sunroom. He took a seat on the couch near the window and once again rubbed his clammy palms against his legs, watching as she set all of the needed supplies on the table ahead of him with feigned interest, an attempt to get out of his own head. Guess what? He looked up, his bottom lip between his teeth while he took the hose from her. He didn’t have time to whisper out a ‘what?’ in response, the very same pack of American Spirits that he’d been looking for seemingly conjured out of thin air within seconds.

He was silent for a moment. Longer than. Her explanation practically whizzed in one ear and out the other as he heard her, but didn’t really process what she’d been saying. Despite his earlier statement, about how it wasn’t the end of the world, it certainly felt as such in the time that he’d spent without — as sad as that seemed, as sad as he felt; it was utterly ridiculous, but staring at them now, there was nothing else that he could bring himself to do except cry. He dropped the hose as tears welled quickly in his eyes, shoving his palms into his sockets in a weak effort to stop. No matter how hard he pressed, though, the tears didn’t stop, escalating further and further until he was uncontrollably sobbing.

( @draslihanxfahri-bailey )

#( interactions. )#( ch. elijah falvey. )

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 8 days

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... Dude? Was he being serious right now? The curator rarely was ever called "dude", especially not by a six foot something bearded man that reeked of garlic and coffee. Now, maybe that should've been her first giveaway as to who the stranger was. After all, there were rarely anyone else that she knew of or heard about that had a penchant for smelling like garlic. In fact, she had heard Eli's bemoaning of a certain friend of his that kept stuffing his garlicky hands into his face. Which, had left a lingering odor on the musician before.

However, she completely forgot about that within the moment. Among all of the other pressing matters happening in her life, her partner's bromance wasn't exactly in the top ten most important things to think about.

Her brows were furrowed together and she'd been about to speak when she realized one extremely critical thing: this man was trying to take off with the fucking tenders. "First of all, dude," the word sounded strange coming from her thick, Egyptian accent, yet her own fingers tightened around the pack as she yanked it closer to her before continuing: "you were a mere two feet away from the stand by the time I was already here. Second of all, it is highly crucial that I have these; They're for my brother. He lost his husband recently and his job a few days later, and the poor man is absolutely miserable. Are you truly going to deny him one small moment of happiness during such a horrible time? I can't bring him back the love of his life or his job: the least I can do is bring him his favourite food. Please, have a heart."

It was a low blow and she could already hear her mother scolding her if she knew. However, she didn't care. She wanted those tenders and she was going to get those damn tenders. Apologies, Theo's pretend dead husband. ||📜@leonwozniak

there went another unanswered text, another bagel sold, and yet another complaint about his coffee. the days all blurred together, each as disheartening as the last. the only notable difference today was his mother's insistence on his presence for dinner, along with her demand that he bring the chicken tenders. they had been prepared the same way for years, and she had a knack for making them tender and juicy just the way joe liked. they were Joe's absolute favorite, and tonight if he believed his mother, his father especially needed his comfort food.

leon was fairly certain this was all emotional blackmail, but he had never been able to refuse his mother anything.

so, after work, he dashed to the deli, silently praying to whatever deity might be listening that those cursed nashville chicken tenders were still in stock. lost in his thoughts, it took him a few moments to realize that someone else was attempting to make off with his precious tenders. the instant he felt them slipping from his grasp, he tightened his hold on the packaging. "yeah, same to you dude, i was here first!"

he could have easily let her have them, allowed her to walk away with the prize, but the mere audacity of her attempt to steal his tenders ignited a spark of irritation within him that he couldn't ignore.

#( interactions. )#( ch. leon wozniak. )#i'm fucking dying oh my god skdfghkdfs

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 8 days

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It was becoming a challenge to keep her heartbeat steady as she watched him. Watching him squeeze his eyes shut, how he pinched the bridge of his nose, how he was breathing in that moment… All Aslihan wanted to do in that moment was to comfort him, to soothe him and discover what it was that made him so anxious. When he left that morning, he was in high spirits. Ready to go to the lake and have fun watching the kayak race for her, especially considering he had gone to watch her race in the past. It should've been a fun day for him, in spite of them not getting to go together.

So to see him just a mere few hours later, running around the house like a mad man (she was not prepared to see what the rooms upstairs looked like now), tore at her heart. Especially once he began to apologize for something he didn't need to. "I-It's okay," she spoke softly. Carefully moving closer to him, yet keeping her footsteps and moments light as she reached up to brush her fingers across his face. Part of her was scared that with any sudden movement that she'd end up spooking him. She didn't want to risk him becoming agitated again or over-excited.

Yet, she couldn't stop herself from touching him either. From caressing him, her fingertips gentle to counteract her nearly tasing him just moments ago after believing that he was an intruder, or worse. Admittedly, part of her wondered if it was a good idea to share some shisha with him. Though, she wanted to believe that she'll be able to ease him. That she'll be able to help him calm down and talk to her once he's ready. "Okay." Nodding, she smiled softly, yet weakly. Bringing his hand to her lips and kissing his knuckles before watching him go. Her face falling slightly once his back was turned on her, finally allowing herself to show how nervous she felt without pressuring him too soon to talk before he was ready to. She just hoped that he would, sooner rather than later.

She tried to steady her breathing before she headed off to the kitchen to grab the hookah supplies and preparing it, along with a tray of some food and drinks. She wasn't about to let him smoke on an empty stomach. Though, throughout her preparation, her mind kept wandering to all sorts of questions. The curator couldn't help but to wonder what happened before she made her way upstairs. She smiled at Eli as she led him to the attic's sunroom, setting the hookah on the coffee table and holding the hookah hose out to him. "Guess what?" Reaching into her back pocket, she took out a pack of American Spirits. Smiling gently before setting it on the table. "I found it on the counter near the sink. I think you might've accidentally left it before you headed out earlier." ||📜@elifalvey

Most things that Elijah learned, he happened to learn in hindsight. How he should have mixed that song better, because listening to it in the car made it sound all out of whack; how he should have gotten into the habit of checking his pockets before leaving the house, because then he wouldn't have to ferociously tear everything apart to find the missing item of the week; how he should have announced his presence first, because now Aslihan was staring at him with a taser that could have instinctually met his side had he not spoken up first; how he should have said something, met Kaya in the middle with an explanation more deserving for their decades of friendship; how he should have done the same with Roman, and Harrison . . .

No, no. Fucking, stop thinking about him — about them. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, thankful that his frustration towards the inability to turn his goddamn brain off could be easily passed off as frustration towards this current situation. How he scared her. Didn’t announce his presence and nearly paid a costly price for it. Which, to note, he did feel guilty about. He didn’t want to seem as nonchalant as he did about the kind of instinctual response that he triggered in her, because he did care and and it was a big deal, and he knew that the regret would surface in full once he managed to free up the emotional bandwidth for it, but unfortunately in this moment the guilt was obviously overshadowed by his own problems. Small and rather silly on the surface, but looming over his head like a giant wave just waiting to crash on land.

“Right — I . . . sorry, I should have . . .” he trailed off, practically swallowing his own words as he took the quick second wherein she was putting the taser away to peer around the corner, into the living room as if his missing cigarettes would be sitting right there on the end table. Clearly, they weren’t, and it took all of his willpower to stay put instead of bolt around to check every nook and cranny in there, too. Once he heard the doors shut softly, his head snapped back ahead of him and he nodded. Perhaps a bit too eagerly, like he was attempting to convince not only his girlfriend but himself that it was fine, that it wasn’t like he felt itchy just underneath his skin, that it wasn’t like his thoughts were racing. “Okay. Yeah. That’s, uh — yeah, that sounds nice. That works. I’ll just . . . I’ll head to the store later or something. Maybe they’ll turn up. Not the end of the world.”

There was a smile that followed that didn’t quite reach his eyes, squeezing her hand once in an attempt to be reassuring before he let go. He rubbed the clammy feeling off on his thighs before he ascended back up the stairs, two steps at a time until he reached the top without a word.

( @draslihanxfahri-bailey )

#( interactions. )#( ch. elijah falvey. )

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 8 days

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As much as Aslihan has typically loved the Take It Outdoors spring kayak race, she hadn't been in attendance this time around. There were some finishing touches she needed to do concerning the new wing, and it couldn't wait until next week after Spring Extravaganza was over. And with Eli having plans, she was able to get her parents to take the girls for the day, them having Rhia and then grabbing Alex after school. It was fortunate for her that Asli always loved her work. That she was getting to do with her life what she loved, that she got to contribute to teaching more people about history. Especially now that the museum took her idea into consideration about doing monthly limited courses on a variety of historical subjects, with people at the museum, the university, and partners from museums, societies, and universities around the world to teach the subjects they specialized in.

As much as she was disappointed to miss out on the race, she was happy. She was happy that her relationship with Eli was infinitely better now than it'd been this time of year last year. She was happy that Alex and Rhia were growing up, that they were happy and healthy. She was happy that the wing was almost done and could be opened soon. She was happy that her idea was taken into consideration and would start in the autumn. She was happy that things were going better overall at the museum in general. In so many ways, she was happy. For a moment, she could forget that time there where Eli wasn't himself. That things were good, that everything was alright.

Unfortunately, she hadn't expected for Elijah to come home in a frenzy. For him to be frantic and tearing the place apart. At first, she hadn't realized he'd come back home. With her headphones on and in the dining room, she was listening to some music while she worked diligently. Humming along, chin in the palm of one of her hands, the other hand typing on the keyboard. It hadn't been until one of the cats, Oliver, came running to her in a panic that she finally took off her headphones. At first, all she heard were the footsteps and commotion upstairs. She tensed up before she quietly headed to the laundry room. Alex and Rhia never go in there, so it was one of the few places she kept her tasers and knew that the girls wouldn't be able to find them.

Grabbing one and turning it on, she'd been preparing herself and hiding when, finally, she heard Eli's voice. The woman sighing in relief. "Holy shit—I thought you were at the lake still! I nearly tased you, I had no idea you were back home." She turned it off and had been about to put it away when she finally caught a good look of him. The curator tensing up once she saw the look on his face. How frantic his eyes were, how tired he seemed, how he looked like he'd seen a ghost. "I…" Swallowing thickly, she shook her head. "No… No, I'm sorry, I haven't. I can help you look, just… Let me put the taser away real quick." She put it back in the safety box, shutting the laundry and then pantry doors behind her, before rejoining her partner in the foyer. She gently took his hands into her own and tried not to widen her eyes feeling how clammy they were. "How about we go up to the attic sunroom and I start up a hookah for us, hm? I'll add in your favourite shisha, we got hours to unwind until my parents bring the girls home, and… we can just talk. Okay, baby? What do you say?" ||📜@elifalvey

LOCATION: Eli and Asli's home, Claret Park.

WHEN: After Spring Extravaganza's annual kayak race.

WHO: Elijah & Aslihan ( @draslihanxfahri-bailey ).

The sound of the idling Jeep rang through Elijah’s ears and nothing else, having sat in the driveway with his hands still clutching onto the steering wheel for more than a handful of minutes now; it was a bloody miracle that he even managed to make it home in one piece, all puffy-eyed and mentally disheveled by the time he turned the corner of their street. Things had been fine when he’d first showed up. He’d been determined to have a good day, spending much needed quality time with Erol as they watched the town’s yearly kayak race commence. The moment that Erol had left, however, it was like it had all gone to shit — with impeccable timing, another ghost of his past had decided to waltz back into his life and now he was stuck, replaying their conversation over and over in his mind. He would have hated you for doing this to us. His knuckles were white — had been the entire drive, actually — and he slowly, meticulously, almost painfully unfurled his fingers in an attempt to calm down. He turned the car off. Released a breath. Shut his eyes as the engine came to a halt and he was met with complete silence. No, no, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t fucking calm down. As he sat there and tried, the only thought that had reared its ugly head was how badly he needed a fucking cigarette instead, and his breath easily turned into a frustrated groan. The crux of the issue was Kaya, and how easily she and Roman had managed to crumble the walls he’d placed in front of himself after nearly five whole years of building them up, but the inability to process any of that so quickly meant that his anger had redirected in different ways; the inability to find his stupid cigarettes being the main one, at the minute, itching to relieve an almost insatiable stress-induced urge. He patted his pockets down several times when he first hurried back to the car, but found nothing except his phone and wallet. Afterwards, he practically turned the whole damn thing upside down to sift through every compartment — no luck there, either. He couldn’t even visualize them sitting atop his bedside nightstand, like most misplaced things he happened to realize were misplaced far too late. He was at a loss. Opening his eyes again, he finally willed himself to move, locking the vehicle behind him and barreling into the house. He didn’t make time to kick off his shoes, or to pet the cats that came trotting to say hello as he usually would. Rather, he barreled up the stairs and made a beeline for their bedroom in order to tear that entire place up, too. No blanket left unruffled, no pillow spared as he feverishly searched for the tiny blue box he’d been needing as a crutch. As to be expected, there was no sight of them, and so he detoured to the balcony, and then the bathroom, and each of the guest rooms until the entire upstairs had been rifled through. He couldn’t fucking find them. He expelled another irritated groan. “Babe!” he called out, his voice practically booming through the otherwise quiet house as he hurried back down the stairs, searching for Aslihan this time. Undoubtedly an easier task, and maybe she’d know where he put them. “Asli, have you seen my American Spirits? I thought I saw them this morning, but now I can’t fucking find them, and I —” He tiredly ran a hand over his face, into his beard before he finally made eye contact with her once it dropped to his side. “I’m sorry,” he breathed out, a little softer. “Have you seen them?”

#( interactions. )#( ch. elijah falvey. )#:) :) :) i'm not okay

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draslihanxfahri-bailey · 10 days

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📜𝙰𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙵𝚊𝚑𝚛𝚒-𝙱𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚢 & 𝙴𝚟𝚛𝚒𝚖 𝙰𝚔𝚜𝚘𝚢

For as long as the curator could remember, she loved to run. Whether that was for fun or for competing like she had in uni for cross country and track and field as a kid, it was one of the few things in which she was able to stop her ever-wondering mind from thinking too much. The feel of the breeze against her body, coursing through her hair and ruffling her clothes. How she mastered steadying her breathing and the right pace to start off with before giving her all. How the rhythmic sound of her feet against the ground beating in its own time helped her to remain focused on that. Running has been one of her favourite ways to clear her mind and focus on one thing entirely, among some other sports and exercises over the years. Yet, she wasn't able to shut her mind off completely this time. There were many things that were on her mind this past month, resulting in her texting one of those reasons to meet her at the gym. While she'd been running along the track, she slowed down once she spotted Evrim. They were fraternal and had their own differences. But every time she looked at her, she lost her breath. Eve is her twin. Physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally, she was her other half. And they lost thirty-two years because of Adem and Ceren. "H-Hey," she said. The curator slowing to a stop once she reached the other. Once she looked back at her familiar eyes that have gazed back for decades every time she looked into a reflection. Fraternal, yet identical. "Um... Thanks. For meeting me here. I know it's not the most conventional place for us to spend time together, but... I, I-I don't know. I just couldn't stop thinking about you."

𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛: 𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚏𝚒𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ; 𝚊𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚕 𝟷𝟿𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 || @evrimaksoy

#( interactions. )#( ch. evrim aksoy. )

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