WORTH IT

There was much about Aylin’s character that contrasted against Jason’s, where he was rigid she was softer and where he was a realist she was full of hope. The ways they differed had become a kind of magnet because he could feel himself drawn to her, wanting to know how she thought of things. As they finished their toast and he emptied his glass, her question had him raising a brow for her to elaborate. “Tonight we are just guests, no obligations to anyone else.” he agreed with a nod and a hint of a smile at the simplicity of her request. Placing the flute on a passing tray and shaking his head with a bit of a laugh. “I’m good at many things but dancing…” he trails but takes her hand nonetheless, nestling it into the crook of his arm once more, and guiding them to the dance floor. He figured if he’d make a fool of himself it’d be in Aylin’s company. “So,” he begins once they are settled on a spot, his arms curving around and resting at her waist gently, “Big party usually how you celebrate the New Year?”

...

Aylin knows she is softer than most of the other Ozdemir siblings. Her emotions ties in with each and every single one of their members including the simple fact no one wrapped up in this life will ever have something normal. It’s why this little moment, this night was something she was willing to sink herself into in order pretend for a bit that she’s not the under boss of a family business that’s capable of so much destruction. Her gaze finding Ezra in the crowd in the arms of Atticus. A soft exhale leaving her lips as she lets her eyes drift back towards Jason as a smile spreads her features. “No obligations to anyone else,” she repeats as she tilts her head to the side a little when he starts to talk about how dancing wasn’t one of his strong suits but his hand finds hers regardless. She follows him to the middle of the dance floor, raising her arms to gently wrap around his neck, locking her fingers behind him. “Usually,” she confesses. “We’ve always celebrated New Years in a big crowd like this one... I’ve been coming to stuff like this since I was about ten. What do you usually do, Mr. Pierce?”

“If,” he stated strongly. “If you see the story in the picture…” Hues flickered between the different facets of the piece before them and it seemed no matter how he looked at it - or how many times he squinted his eyes, he couldn’t see shit. “Reach to the… What? How the fuck do you know that?” Gesturing to the piece, his hand shook in a way that only further demonstrated that he didn’t get it. That he didn’t want to get it - and that he didn’t know why he was trying in the first place. “I guess that’s uncultured swine for twenty bucks, I’ll take it. C’mon.. we gotta’ move along to the next one before someone fools themselves into thinking I’m enjoying this.”

...

“Do you not see it?” Aylin asks as she holds onto her bag in front of her. One of her hands raise up to cover her mouth to stifle the chuckle from leaving her as he gestures to the piece in front of them. “I’m sure it’s a lot more than twenty bucks,” she muses as she turns to start walking over to the next piece, glancing over at him as an innocent smile spreads along her features. “Are you not enjoying the art?”

The word maybe wasn’t one Jason held much weight to, but coming from Aylin it felt like a promise he could count on and wouldn’t mind waiting for. He takes a quick glance at his surroundings; registering the familiar faces, from the strange ones, to the enemy ones he knows. He’d come with her for many reasons, but the most fundamental one was to make sure he did his part to keep her safe. He wasn’t a bodyguard by any means but hearing what had happened during Halloween the protectiveness over the advisor had happened instinctively. “Life’s what you make it Ozdemir,” he responds with a shrug. The word dream makes him falter if only for a second as he clinks his glass against hers and begins to drown the contents.

...

Aylin pauses and considers her words but it’s always been who she is; the optimistic, the mediator, and the middle ground. It’s impossible for her to feel the right to speak how she truly feels since she is the glue that holds the family together. She’s Dilara’s ears and second pair of eyes, Rami’s supporter despite worst case scenarios and the one who tries to be honest with Ezra no matter how scary the truth can be. She brings her glass up to her lips as she takes a sip, pulling it away after a second as her eyes skim the crowd around them. “Is it?” She questions softly as she glances over at him. “I think for one night. I want to be more than the second in command and watcher of siblings.” She tilts her head back to drink the contents of the flute before she puts the empty glass on a tray passing by. “Care to join me on the dance floor, Mr. Pierce?”

Jason let out a bit of a chuckle as they continued walking, “Well I hope I’m in your company when you choose to step up from this old thing,” he repeated her words back to her. He shook his head at the compliment and then just nodded once in thanks. He wasn’t one to get compliments and he didn’t usually know how to react although a hint of a smile was afforded to Aylin. As the got off the elevator he quickly lifted two flutes from the trays that seemed to be moving about the ballroom. He lifted his glass up for a toast as he smiled towards her, “To a stress-free year,” he began although his tone was playful given their line of work he knew stress was a definite certainty. “To getting what we want.”

...

Aylin tries to hold back the smile daring to come along her features. “Maybe you will be,” she teases, turning her head to look over at him as she holds the flute between her index finger and thumb, bringing it to her lips and taking a sip of it. She tilts her head to the side at his little toast as a low chuckle leaves her lips. “I feel like that’s certainly a saying that should have you knocking on wood for saying it out loud,” she smirks, knowing how stressful both of their lives are. She brushes her fingers along the side of the flute as she tilts it in his direction. “To all our dreams coming true.”

where: a coffee shop

who: open!!

Violet stood in line for Starbucks, it wasn’t her favourite coffee shop but they gave out free drinks on your birthday so she re-downloaded the app and found herself there. Her birthday traditions were simple enough, wake up early and make her way down the list of all the places that gave freebies then buy a new book and spend the afternoon devouring the book before indulging in a shopping spree. This year she was excited for being back in Chicago to have the cheesy family dinners that were accustomed with birthdays but she pushed the thought into a crevice in her mind. Today was going to be a good day. She neared the front door now and she could see people begin singing happy birthday to the man at the front of the line. “Well I feel like I’ll be copying him if I say its my birthday too.” Even though it was and she had the ID to prove it, it felt less special in the moment.

...

Aylin stood next to Violet, shaking her head at her words as she put her arm around her. “Some people were born on the same day but you are the best one,” she mused as she gave her a little shake. “Don’t even think like that. I’m sure they would love to sing happy birthday more than once.” She turned her head to look over at the woman, pressing her lips together as she examined the expression on her features. “You have some worry between your brows,” she hovered her finger over the spot. “Something wrong?”

“Hi,” Jason repeated less as a greeting but more as a loss of words momentarily. A man of few words, because he chose them carefully, it was rare to be speechless but the sight of Aylin had him brushing a hand against his chin as if to settle him back and he was laughing as she played off her dress. “Oh is this a run-of-the-mill dress huh?” he teased with a raised brow looking towards her as they walked together. “What are you saying my regular attire isn’t dashing status?” he asked adjusting his tie, “Honestly, the salesman helped me out.” he corrected with a grin as they entered the ballroom. “Drinks?”

...

Aylin chuckled at his words, nodding her head. “That’s exactly what it is, Mr. Pierce.” She kept her hand cupped in the crease of his elbow as she walked along side of him towards the front doors. Rolling her eyes playfully at his words, a hint of pink came across her cheeks. “Honestly, you’re always dashing. It’s quite unfair.” She mused as she turned her head to look over at him, watching him as he adjusted his tie. “Well, he has a good eye. He picked the perfect suit.” She mused as she turned to face him, reaching up to straighten out the tie. A small habit of hers given Rami and her father were useless with ties. “Drinks sound perfect. Maybe a glass of champagne.”

“Yes.” Jason answered almost instinctively, “I don’t think I’d be here if I wasn’t good at what I do.” By here he meant within the Syndicate and good was a bit of an understatement but he wouldn’t boast. If he were mediocre, people wouldn’t have hired him for jobs and he wouldn’t have been sought out by the Ozdemirs. He observed her for a moment wondering what it was that had occupied her thoughts but just as quickly the look passed. He thought better than to ask and returned his attention to the puzzle. “Those screen time updates really put things into perspective for you!” he chuckled. He hummed in understanding placing the paper down for a moment before sighing. The past few months had really been fast paced with one thing happen after the next and she was right there was no time to just sit down let alone to enjoy things. “You wanna go watch one?” he asked a small smile on his features. He was going to watch the showing of Miracle on 34th street that was playing at a theatre but better to have company. “In line with the holiday season and everything.”

...

Aylin turned her head to look over at him, tilting her head to the side slightly at his words because she knew she couldn’t argue with them. Her father had been calculated when it came to choosing who worked for them and who didn’t. Now it was in the hands of her sister to make sure that the people they hired were good enough for them especially now in the middle of the war that was being created between both sides. She pressed her lips together, dropping her eyes towards the newspaper. “Fair point,” she said softly. She laughed softly at his words, nodding her head. “They do.” She lifted her eyes up to look at him when he asked if she wanted to go watch a movie with him. Biting down on her lower lip, the dark-haired woman nodded her head. “Yeah, I would like that.” She stood up from the couch and looked back at him. “You coming?”

Open

location - beneath one of the art installations

“I don’t get it.” How long had they been staring up at the damn thing for? Long enough to be able to see how it all seemed to fit together, the sculpture or.. diaphragm or whatever the hell it was anchored from the ceiling to hang above their heads. “Isn’t art meant to make you feel shit or something? Dizzy. I feel dizzy, looking up at this thing.” 

...

Aylin let her eyes focus on the piece of art in front of them, turning her head to look over at the male when he had spoke. “Art is supposed to make you feel things if you see the story in the picture,” she chuckled as she raised her hand up, pointing at the cloud in the sky on the painting. “The artist is telling us to always reach to the sky for your dreams,” of course, she was pulling all of this out of her ass because messing with Harley was too easy.

where: nye event | outside the venue

who: @aylinozdemir​

Jason waited at the front of the building adorned in a suit with too many layers for his liking, but it proved useful with the cold chill of the night. He looked up at the night sky and was glad that at least it was clear enough for the firework display later tonight. Only a few moments passed before Aylin arrived and he smiled at the sight of her. His gaze couldn’t help but take the length of her dress before finding her eyes. “You look—Wow, you look great!” Looking down at himself for a second and feeling underdressed for sure. “Shall we?” he asked offering his arm before they stepped in from the cold and into the lobby heading straight for the elevators. 

...

Aylin walked up to the front of the building, letting her eyes focus on the male standing there waiting for her. “hi,” she lifted her hand up, giving him a small wave. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he told her how great she looked. She glanced down at her dress, shrugging her shoulders. “Oh this old thing,” she chuckled as she reached out, taking his arm. Her finger tucked in the crease of his arm as she turned her head to look over at him. “You look dashing tonight, Pierce.” She smirked. “Who knew you had good taste in clothing,” she teased.

“Jump scares are the worst and I maybe watched the first half of IT before I turned it off.” Zekai admitted with a shake to his head. He liked his horror to be more realistic and not the shape-shifting killer clown kind, adding in kids and IT emerging from sewers just ruined the entire thing for him. It was funny given his current position working for a crime family the list of things he feared should have consisted of guns and maybe even death. The way he saw it those things were inevitable and fearing them didn’t seem helpful at all, killer clowns though quickened the pace of his heartbeat at the sheer fact of how unrealistic they were and the thought that they could appear scared him. He watched the woman consider his offer and smiled widely when she nodded. “That sounds like a plan! I’m Zekai by the way.” he introduced as they walked towards the bar. They ordered the drink she mentioned with the request of added tequila and were brave enough to venture into the funhouse, Zekai making sure to hold back yelling more than he normally would for her sake. As they exited and before he could laugh about her reaction he was being called over by a friend. “I’ll be right back!” he said earnestly. Although his intentions were to return, the night had other plans.

AYLIN OZDEMIR | NYE EVENT OUTFIT

It was an odd sentiment to attempt to relate to because try as hard as he could Jason couldn’t think of a singular time where he’d felt peace. Or maybe they were so few and far in between, fleeting and bleeding into the next moment he never could savour it. He paused to consider himself now; sitting on the couch, not a single worry at the forefront of his mind, and Aylin next to him as they did a crossword. “Ah okay, would you say you’re any good?” he asked, knowing some people were content with just having something to do. Then there were others, like him, where an unspoken competition existed in trying to complete in a certain time. “I used to have a game like that on my phone, try to tell the difference or find the missing pieces….I had to delete it after I saw how much time I spent on it.” he admitted with a bit of a laugh. “Zorro…” he answered with a tilt to his head. “It could work. I mean it does fit! What makes up a hero anyway since he’s got protect the people and a mask to protect his identity.” Jason mused as he began filling in the letters. “You have a favourite movie?” he asked keeping his gaze on the newspaper trying not to seem overly curious.

...

Aylin shrugged her shoulders. “Are any of us good at something?” She teased, thinking about all the ways she could be better or could have been better. A part of her wondered since they found Ezra if she had been closer to her sister like she should have been would have that stuff happened to her? She inhaled as she leaned back against the couch, resting her hands on the back of the couch as she let her eyes focus on the puzzle. She laughed softly, lifting her eyes up from the paper to his face. “I am guilty of that myself,” she told him softly as she tucked her leg underneath herself as she let her eyes rest on the paper, watching him put down Zorro. She furrowed her brows as she lifted her eyes up towards the male when he asked her if she had a favorite movie. “If I’m honest I can’t even remember the last movie I watched,” she let her eyes rest on him. “I feel like we barely have time to sit down and enjoy that.”

To start? Maybe the truth. But Ezra couldn’t say that to Aylin, this was one of her older sisters she was talking to and as close as they were growing up and even now, there was still a level of respect she held around the brunette. Ezra pulled the coffee cup to her lips and took a sip first. “Can you let me in on it when it gets figured out?” She would’ve rather been there, working alongside the Syndicates, to figure it out but she knew that they were all being extra protective over her at the moment and arguing wouldn’t do any good. “I want to teach those bastards what happens when they step out of line.” And with that, Ezra relaxed into Aylin’s couch, bringing the mug with her. “I’m going back to the compound this week. It’s been too long and I can’t ignore my role.” She was well aware that she wouldn’t be the first to experience something traumatic and certainly wouldn’t be the last, everyone else worked through it and she had to as well.

...

Aylin held her cup of coffee in her hand as she leaned back against the couch, her dark hues focusing on her younger sister as she pressed her lips together. Her fingers brushed along the side of her cup as she let her eyes focus on her baby sister. “I can try,” she tried to promise but it also wasn’t her promise to make. If someone was going to keep her in the loop it would have to be Dilara since she was the one who was in charge of who got to know what. Sometimes she was sure there were things Dilara was doing that even she wasn’t aware of. She nodded her head as she took a sip of her coffee. “We all want to teach them a lesson, Ez.” She thought about what had happened when they found her. She glanced down towards the cup of coffee in her hand, looking at the liquid that was inside of it. “I think that sounds like a great idea but don’t feel the need to rush yourself.”