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𝐈𝐒𝐑𝐀 𝐀𝐕𝐂𝐈

full name: Isra Avci

gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her

age & date of birth: 34, March 13, 1989 

where do they live: Downtown 

time living in lockwood springs: 18 years + returned 1.5 years ago 

Occupation: nurse

positive traits: adventurous, caring, generous, organized philanthropic, patient 

negative traits: judgmental, martyr, occupied, overly-meticulous, self-righteous, 

face claim: Melisa Asli Pamuk

sister to: @ecrinavci​ , @aiylaxavci​

inspo: pinterest

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“I don’t mind if we do talk about it, if you want to.” Aiyla only said because she didn’t want her sister to think she was being defensive. She was but she didn’t want it to be obvious. She then laughed about Kemal and agreed but shrugged softly. “It’s hard to ignore sometimes. He knows exactly what to say that will annoy me. I don’t know why we have to accept that he’s going to be this way forever but he can’t accept that we don’t want to accept it.” She stated, a little confused to the statement she was trying to make but it made sense to her.

Aiyla almost spat out her coffee at Isra’s sudden insult for Hakan, laughing as she put down her cup to wipe her mouth. “Well yes! Obviously. But mother and father seem to think that was all my fault because I don’t know a good man when I see one.” she did bunny ears around her words but was still laughing. “I’ll think about it. Maybe if you bring a fake date too they will be so focused on the fact someone likes you that they’ll forget all about me.”

•

Isra gives Aiyla a knowing look and shrugs, “no, it’s fine. Hard as it is to believe, I don’t love talking about your love life,” she says, not unkindly. It’s to give her sister an out from a conversation Isra feels she doesn’t want to have. Maybe she’s wrong but she can see Aiyla’s defensive nature waiting to chomp at the bit. And in the spirit of trying to nurture her relationship with her younger sister, Isra doesn’t want her to feel like she has to defend herself. “I think we can acknowledge it’s unlikely to change, but …I don’t know why we have to accept it.” She sighs, only showing slight annoyance because it’s Aiyla and she knows her sister understands their brother too. “I told him you should be the PR manager. You’re better at that kinda stuff than I am.” Isra admits, setting her spoon down beside her bowl.

She leans back in her seat and grins at Aiyla’s reaction. “Or maybe they’re just stuck on traditions they can’t see what’s right in front of them….that he’s an assole whose ego is the size of the sun.” Never has she met someone more arrogant. She scoffs at Aiyla, “oh, because it’s so rare for someone to like me?” Isra grins, amusement evident in her expression. “I have a better idea. Let’s just avoid them altogether. Solves all our problems,” she suggests with a cheeky smile.

“Be as easy as you want.” Hunter suggested, finding himself funny as he chuckled. It wasn’t a complicated situation to be in, at least not from his perspective. The uncertainty of what happened next with them was half of the fun. Hunter could grow bored easily and the break off and make up routine helped his dopamine hits feel more exciting than the last. He claimed he’d never be an addict like his mother but there were certain addictions that seemed less harmless, like creeping the back of his hand along the inside of Isra’s arm with a soft graze of his knuckles. “I bet he’s not that bad.” Hunter wasn’t being diplomatic from an intelligent stance, he just figured he could punch most people into submission one way or another.

He could easily lose interest in someone like Isra, the indirectness of her answers made him unashamedly roll his eyes in a dramatic motion. “You ever answer a fuckin’ question or is this your idea of foreplay or something?” he cut through the nonsense, heavy handedly bringing her closer so she had no choice but to part her legs and join him against his lap. Then one of his hands found a possessive hold against her jaw, thumb running over the sharp angle. “If I ask you again, are you gonna answer properly?” he requested gently, brushing his lips closer to hers but not quite close enough to meet.

•

“He’d probably say something that makes you want to punch him,” Isra says with a wry smile, knowing how her brothers can be. “And then it’d be awkward to patch you both up. Well, actually...probably only him.” She says with a slight smirk, only slightly amused by the thought. She’s certain her brother’s calculated insults would annoy Hunter more than phase him. Still, it seems like the bar is already quite low for what the Cross finds worth getting into a fight over. 

Isra can’t help the small huff of laughter at his eye roll, letting him tug her forward so she’s straddling his legs. She might’ve given some obtuse reply at his question, just to prove that she could, but her thoughts are driven in every direction when he grabs her jaw. Goosebumps accompany the gesture as she shifts in his lap. They’re close enough that she could’ve erased the distance between their lips if he’d let her. But his firm grip keeps her in place and she knows there’s only one answer to give now: only one answer will get her what she hasn’t realized she’s wanted. Isra swallows, tongue running along the inside of her teeth at the question. A moment passes before she relents.  “Fine…yes.” She’ll answer him. Isra nods, prompting him with words that slip out softly, “ask me again.”

aiylaxavci​:

“Edwin Moss.” Aiyla replied sharply, to nip the whole thing in the bud. She knew Isra wouldn’t disapprove of a flower shop boy, she’d actually be worse. She’d encourage it. If he makes you happy then nothing else matters. And Aiyla did not need any encouragement when it came to Elliot Cross. She needed to ignore him. “You’re being kind, Isra. I think Kemal thinks of himself as a father figure for all of us but decided to be…exactly like the father we already have.” she shrugged, slurping her coffee afterwards. 

“I might have to, Kemal seems to think our parents will want to see me and Hakan…resolve our issues. Whatever the hell that means.” Aiyla scoffed, because she thought their issues were quite obvious. She didn’t want to marry him and he just simply left. “Do you think?” Aiyla propped her chin into her hand as she thought, wondering who would be suitable enough to pretend-date but she had already gone down that road and it was basically a living nightmare. “But then they’d want to meet him? That’s exactly where my problem is.” Aiyla didn’t realize that she had been envisioning a stupid flower shop man for the idea, and her tone had softened almost completely. 

•

Isra makes a small noise of amusement at her sister’s sharp reply. “Mmm, okay, we don’t have to talk about it,” she relents. Edwin Moss. Isra does her best not to smile at the name. Moss working at a flower shop. Why not Green or Leaf? She let’s her little sister have this one and shrugs, taking a bit of her food once more. “Well, what’s the alternative? He doesn’t listen when you tell him to back off…might as well just let him do his thing and ignore it.” Better than fighting for no reason.

She scrunches her nose at the thought of Aiyla back with Hakan. “You mean the fact that you’re no longer together because he’s an asshole?” It’s unusual for Isra to be so direct but the last thing she thinks AIyla should do is get back with him. “I think it can’t hurt. Just say he’s busy and then in a few months when Hakan leaves, say you broke up…” She’s not one to lie but desperate times call for desperate measures and if her sister has to fake a boyfriend to get out of parental pressure to return to a terrible person, Isra would support her. “I’ll even say he’s hot or whatever since you know mom will care about that more.”

Aiyla knew there was a threat of ranting about Elliot and the way he also headbutted her when they kissed. Isra wouldn’t judge but it was just something she wasn’t ready to admit, hoping she could keep denying it to herself and it would all go away. “Honestly, but he is very good at what he does.” she said absentmindedly, looking at the flowers. “The shop, I mean. So, I just have to be ready for an argument every time I go there.” which wasn’t difficult. She listened about Kemal, stifling a laugh. At least he was the same to all of them, a third parent that none of them needed considering the two they already had were obsessive and controlling. “I think he means well but his delivery is always awful.” Aiyla affirmed as she then sipped her coffee. “Urgh, practically the same. Said he could get me out of dinner if Hakan was invited if I did some work for him. He’s going to be on his death bed one day and telling us what we should do.”

•

Isra nods as Aiyla speaks, brow raised as her younger sister continues, her tone seeming to shift slightly as she keeps talking. Hmm. Interesting. “Well, someone there is. What’s his name?” She asks casually, picking at her breakfast in an attempt to look disinterested herself. She’s not one to pry but she’s curious now. “Well, at least I know I’m not crazy, and neither are you. His delivery is awful. But I guess it’s well meaning...sometimes.” She’s not going to quit her job, whatever her older brother says, but she knows he just wants them involved. Isn’t three out of four siblings good enough? The spa might not be the family company per se but it’s still well regarded and lucrative. 

“If I knew I wouldn’t be asking.” he laughed to her because Isra was more coy than he knew what to do with. Hunter always preferred directness, it made it easier to know exactly where everybody stood. At least that’s what Hunter thought, but maybe it’s because he didn’t understand the frills people added to their words. “If you want it, you just have to say.” he said simply, partly because hearing her say it would already be a pleasurable end to the evening. He listened about her brother, tilting his head slightly. He didn’t know much about the Avcis, other than their wealth being impressive but he also didn’t know why that made anybody impressive. “What stops you?” he asked, not sure why he was curious but a job was a job? “If you don’t wanna do it, put my name down.” he then laughed, more amused at the image. “Think he’d get me to become one of those…what they call it? Uphanded citizens?”

Hunter was unmoved by the touch at his jaw but took it as an opportunity to let his gaze take a closer look across Isra’s features, a faint but smug grin taking place over his own. “I’d call it the fight finds me but I guess we can go with your take.” he laughed quietly, studying her closely. “Do you usually let fighters into your apartment to fix them up or am I just special?” he goaded her, falling back into bad habits…or good ones as his hands rested against her waist to pull her closer. “You ready to say it yet?”

•

Isra’s been burnt before but she’d never seen it coming. At least with Hunter she knows exactly what type of person he is. She lets out a puff of air, laughing softly at his words. If she wants it.  This start-stop cycle makes her wonder if it’s smart to walk this road again, but she thinks that every time until she does. Until he’s there with his smug smile and flashing blue eyes and she’s keen for something to distract her. “That easy, huh?” she replies with a haphazard smile, heat creeping up her neck before a laugh escapes at the suggestion of him working for her brother. “Oh I can put your name down. I just don’t know if I hate anyone enough to subject them to Kemal as a boss.” She doesn’t even want him to be her boss. 

She scoffs, a genuine grin forming now as she raises a brow in amusement. “They find you with a neon sign,” she pokes without ire before chewing the inside of her cheek. His hands tug her close and Isra considers his words for a split second before deciding to be careless. Life’s too short, isn’t it? “Special might be too strong,” she says, hands moving to his shoulders, “But you’re the only one I let stay.” It’s as good as any admission as she leans down to close the distance between them. 

Sera often just trusted the things people said at face value, but it wasn’t until Isra asked for a shorter book that she gave a quick sideways glance and tried to hide her smile. “I don’t know, I kind of like…getting stuck in.” she tested the waters, shrugging sweetly before the chatter started among the other book club goers. She leaned a little to Isra, gently nudging her. “So, that ending, huh? Never thought it would have been Hugo all along. We didn’t even meet him until chapter seven.” she suggested, expecting Isra to not know what on earth she was talking about. Neither did she, she just thought of the word Hugo because she met a dog called that this very morning.

•

Isra rolls her eyes when Sera doesn’t agree but a smile tugs at her lips regardless as she sighs and mouths you suck to one of her best friends. She supposes she had it coming. She had known when she was supposed to be done the book. But life had a way of getting in the way recently and she hadn’t gotten around to it. Which is why she’s sat in the book club now, without a clue as to what anyone was talking about and a vague recollection of the characters themselves. Isra nudges Sera back, scoffing. “Yeah, ha-ha, Hugo was the best part,” she makes a face, sticking out her tongue as other book-club-goers begin to chat amongst themselves. “That’s the last time I ask you to cover for me, Ser.” 

“i can send you the email they sent me. it’s really not hard work at all.” kemal suggests with an unenthusiastic shrug because he knows isra won’t bite. he hopes she at least knows that he does this because their dear parents deserve to know their children are living the life they all deserve. it’s always been isra and aiyla who seem to miss that mark but now aiyla has grown up a little, a very little, it’s just isra that everyone is waiting on. kemal sighs and leans back in his chair, nodding to isra despite it being obvious that he isn’t retaining her words. he’s used to all of his attempts never working but somehow doesn’t get less annoyed by it.·“fine, you can help hire somebody if that’s all you’re willing to work with me on. but will you even have the time to do that?” he asks, tilting his head and waving his hand at her.·“between stitching up people’s headwounds or sewing their toes back on or fishing out things from cavities·where they don’t belong.” he adds with a judgmental flair.·“i can see the appeal of that rather than sending a few emails, truly.”

•

Hunter’s smirk was faint but equally confident as he watched Isra, because her careful dance around the obvious made him want to laugh. “I think,” he said in pretend contemplating, eyes fixed to her as he gently removed her hand from his face. “You’re avoiding answering properly.” he grinned again, gripping her wrist gently but then let go so his fingers slowly trailed over her hand and she could get back to work.

Sometimes half of the words Isra said flew right over Hunter’s head, they seemed like fancier words or they had double meaning. Sometimes that was enough to convince himself of their different worlds, he was vulgar and brash and straight to the point and then Isra came along with a prettier way of saying things. He laughed about the lisp, but then focused on what she said about her brothers. “You can’t be nice and make money.” he shrugged, thinking that’s what she meant. Her brothers needed to be strong in their own way to make business boom. Maybe they weren’t entirely different worlds, but the world definitely favored people like the Avcis. Isra seemed different from them too, though which was all the more confusing to Hunter’s this or what way of thinking. He blinked his blue eyes at her with an obvious question behind them when she called him a pacifist. Eventually he could laugh about it. “Isra, I don’t know what the fuck that word means.” he shrugged, grinning again. “You’re gonna have to start speaking Southside ‘cause you may as well be going full Turkish mode on me right now.”

•

Isra chews the inside of her cheek, knowing full well that Hunter knows what he’s doing. What she avoids saying. “And I think,” she says, eyes drifting from his face to his hand on hers and back, “that you already know my answer.” Because this is how it usually goes. Easy, fun, and with no expectations. It makes it all the easier to fall back into, too. She wants to say you can be nice and make money but finds herself admitting the opposite. “It’s true. Kemal thinks I should quit and come work for the family,” she admits without really considering it. They don’t really talk about this stuff. “I just mean…you’re probably right.” She loves her brothers dearly but pleasantries are usually a shield for an ulterior motive or a task or a way to get her to help the family turn a profit (at least that’s how it feels). 

She shrugs, mostly because there’s not much to be done about it and only when he laughs does she blink. She can’t help her own amusement at the mention of going full Turkish mode.  Scoffing, a good-natured smile crosses her lips. “Fine, how about this,” she draws a hand to his jaw without a second thought, fingers ghost along the sharp curve of it as her smile shifts slightly, “you live for the fight.” A thought she’s had more than once, between stitching wounds and tending to bruises that speak of violence she’s never seen from him. “Take that away and you wouldn’t really be you.” It’s not a dig, so much as an observation. Besides, her life would certainly be less interesting with all the unique sort of injuries he brings her way. It’s like a game of chance, not knowing what she’ll encounter when she answers the door or, in tonight’s case, runs into him on the streets of Lockwood. 

kemal wonders if he gives himself more work than he needs to when it comes to his siblings, always thinking of ideas that will steer them in the right direction. ecrin is doing the best in his and their parent’s opinion. even aiyla is…getting there. “you don’t need to know anything, the fact you’re my sister is enough.” kemal tries to entice her, remaining as charming and convincing as he can be. “being a nurse means you’re sensible and that’s precisely what they need, it’s easy work. i mean it, all you have to do is make sure everything looks good before it goes out to the public. write a few things. it’ll be double…triple what you make having to touch people’s wounds.” he makes a face, thinking the paycheck will surely win her but he has tried this so many times he knows isra cares about more than money, as if she was born in an entirely different family. “aiyla is too impulsive, and ecrin is too busy. it seemed perfect for you but i can see i’m probably wasting my time.”

•

Isra knows Kemal means well – that his words are meant to encourage and entice rather than insult but she still frowns at them. “Well, thanks, Kemal...I just prefer to know what I’m doing before jumping into something.” She cants her head to the side as he continues listing off reasons she’d be good at the job she knows nothing about and sighs. “Okay, look – I’m not trying to say no to you. I hate saying no to you but this is our family company...I feel like there’s someone out there – the best –  who can do a better job than me. Whose heart is in it,” either for the job or the paycheck. “Wouldn’t you prefer that?” If he actually believes she’s sensible because she’s a nurse, then maybe he’ll see the sense in what she’s saying. “If you want help hiring someone, though –– I can give my input.” She nods with a smile, trying to throw him a bone, “but I actually like my job, believe it or not. Wounds and all.” Because helping people made it more worthwhile to Isra. It’s why she’d gone abroad for years, using her skills to help how she could. “I’d be happy to help you look, interview them with you, etcetera. You know...since I’m so sensible I’ll probably recognize when someone else is too.” It’s only partial bs but she is happy to help him if she can. Isra loves her brother even if she knows that this is something he probably won’t let go of.

Hunter was always direct and he enjoyed the way it could always stir a reaction, good or bad. So Isra trying to stave a smile or grin was just as good in his eyes. “You only gotta say.” he replied simply, still angling his face so she could work on the bruises he was always going to have in one way or another. It was weirder when he had none. Hunter had no issue taking the lead but considering he was the only one out of the two of them who had acted coldly during the storm, he figured he’d let Isra decide. They were so used to the cycle by now that it was practically automatic, the beginning and the end included.

“That’s a good idea, you know damn well I’ll be using it again at some point.” he laughed, but he always found a way to give the money back. Usually in paper bags and trying to avoid any questions about where it was from. A more genuine smile came when she complimented him and he gave her a quick wink. “A missing tooth?” he suggested after, fighting a laugh so he didn’t disturb her work. “I’m sure if he met me, that’d change. Big difference between your brothers and me.” Hunter said, unsure why he was trying to prove the huge differences between his life and hers as if it wasn’t already obvious. He wondered if he used it as a way to remind himself of it, to stop him getting too carried away. “Eh, kinda. I’m not meant to fight too much, just happens. I’ve never been good at letting people get the last word. Besides, if I stopped getting hurt, wouldn’t you be out of a job?”

•

Isra has always known what she was getting where Hunter was concerned. There were never any formalities or promises and she prefers that. After all, promises are fragile things, only good for breaking – something she knew all too well. It makes this back and forth easier, knowing that she doesn’t have to dance across broken glass or hard feelings. Only gotta say. “Mmm, that’s all?” She quirks a brow, still focused on cleaning up his face. “I’m just wondering if it’d be a good idea.” Even if the subtle tug of her lip says otherwise. “What do you think?”

“Yes, exactly.” Aiyla scoffed and then waved her hand. “Not the flower shop, the worker. Whatever his name is.” she stated as if the name hadn’t been running through her mind for…she didn’t want to count. “Thank you, because the amount of people who keep telling me he was right. I thought I was going color blind.” she sighs, grateful for the validation that had been frustrating her for months. “Well, we argued about it…before Thanksgiving.” Aiyla frowned, in disbelief it had been that long since Elliot and her started their weird dance of interrupted kisses and tense insults. Embarrassed at the thought, Aiyla moved the vase to one side. “Enough about that. I heard that we both got into trouble with Kemal. What did he say to you?”

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