ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

ceyda: it's reality tv, the answer is both ceyda: but they probably think you're also an asshole who's gonna stir up some kinda drama.

TEXTS 📱 OPEN

Yohan: I just got the weirdest text from a casting agent. Yohan: They want to cast me for a reality TV show. Yohan: Do you think they want to cast me because I'm hot or I look good shirtless?

[ceydaxbalik]

"Maybe you're right," Ceyda liked the way the other brunette had put it. Sure, she didn't really celebrate it for herself anymore, but, other people did, right? Ideas were floating around her brain now. "I could go to Flora and Fauna, get some roses and decorate as well," she said, clearly thinking out loud. "I could actually even take some to pediatrics and cheer up some of the kids...or even give some to the parents as well, god knows they need it. It is a really good cause, huh?" Ceyda loved things like this and it was killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. "I think I'm gonna do both." @sagexmackenzie

"You can never go overboard at Sweet Nothings, especially not when it's for a good cause!" Sage had been living at Ocean Crest Apartments for years and she was a resident there when the fire happened, so hearing that the Aurora Bay fire department would be getting donations from a bake sale they were doing with Sweet Nothings, she knew she had to jump on it. Not only was Sage buying some of the delicious treats for herself, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend's little sister's, she'd also made a donation directly to the fire department.

"Everyone deserves a treat sometimes so I don't think they'll be upset about it or anything. I'm sure they'll be happy to get a little surprise pastry. It could even be a little Valentine's Day gift from you!"

@ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

"Could you imagine?" Ceyda let's out a small laugh at the thought. Showing up to some fancy hospital soiree in a feather boa and some extravagant outfit? As a medical resident? She'd be laughed out of the town and that wouldn't be a great thing considering she'd never really left Aurora Bay aside from her honeymoon. "Okay I gotta get serious here, Ali. I can't be joking around in front of my colleges they already think that I'm far too much." @alicexcheng

Alice laughed, her eyes lighting up at the praise. “I’m glad you like it! Honestly, I’ve been thinking it needs to be on a T-shirt, a mug, maybe even a limited edition phone case.” She raised an eyebrow, clearly entertaining the idea. “You’ll be the first to get one. I’ll even throw in a free ‘sophisticated chaos’ sticker.”

Her grin softened as she watched Ceyda work through the rack of dresses, the creative energy practically radiating from her. “Exactly. You’ve got the vibe, now just own it. Who cares if it’s a little out there? The whole point is to take something that’s not supposed to work and make it work.” Alice gestured toward the sequined top. “That’s it right there. Lean into the sparkle. Who says you can’t turn thrift store finds into runway magic?”

She leaned in, her voice low but with that usual spark. “And between you and me, the more absurd the combination, the better. I say we add a feather boa to that sequined top. Trust me—it’s a statement piece waiting to happen.” Alice gave her an exaggerated wink. “We’re not just ‘thinking outside the box,’ we’re burning the box and starting a whole new trend.”

[ceydaxbalik]

"You're not one of those people who try and commit to the gym every New Years are you?" The more he spoke, that's what it sounded like. Not that Ceyda would ever judge him for that, but she would have a few different recommendations if that were the case.

"Yeah, absolutely," the brunette smiled brightly up at him, whatever the case she was happy to help. "You an early riser or a night person? 'Cause I can do either. Just depends on my shifts at the hospital." @samucl-kane

“That makes sense. It’s definitely intimidating to a degree, but I know I can only stand to benefit from it.” 

Jumping in without a plan is his first mistake, but he knows if he sat on it for too long, he would have talked himself out of it. Sam eyes the cardio equipment. That’s the safe area, he thinks. Gradually, he can tour the entire gym and figure out where everything is and where he will eventually fit in.

“I worry about looking too lost,” he muses aloud. “I’d love that, though. Someone to show me the ropes might help me stick to it. I won’t have my nerves keeping me from coming in.”

@ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

"Well unfortunately you've come to the wrong person for detecting red flags, I married a man that decided to steal millions from the company he worked from, then he freaking fled the country." A year on and Ceyda could finally laugh about the whole situation even though she wasn't divorced yet and had no sign of that coming to any time soon.

She hadn't had any real luck on the dating apps either.

"That is cute," she mused about the other brunette's story. "I think hookup culture's kind of fucked it all up though, no? Everyone claims they can 'just' have sex with someone and then the next thing they know, they're getting married or whatever." @billieconway

"I'm a little rusty on dodging red flags, I think -- I got really lucky the first time around."

Of course, her late husband had had some habits that occasionally drove her up the wall -- as came with any marriage -- but on the whole Billie didn't think she canonized him too much when it came to how she remembered him.

He'd been a good man; selfless, caring, and would have gone to the moon and back if she'd asked.

"I just miss when people had good stories about how they met, you know? Meet cutes. Like my parents? They met at the state fair -- my dad stopped her from stepping in a pile of horse shit."

@ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

who @kaceyonthemic where: the hospital

“Look what I scored us,” Ceyda grinned as she opened up the box of pastries from the bake sale. She did debate on whether sweet treats like this would be frowned upon by her colleagues but at the end of the day they were for a good cause. “Take your pick I’m gonna pop them in the staff room and they’ll probably be magically gone by this afternoon.” She plonked herself down next to him. “Please tell me there’s something fun going on here.”

[ceydaxbalik]

who: @sagexmackenzie where: sweet nothing's

"Is it bad if I go overboard?" Ceyda asked as she turned to Sage, her eyes narrowing. It wasn't like she had anyone at home to feed but she really wanted to give to a good cause. "Oh, I can take them to work!" The idea suddenly comes to her, a grin forming. "Well, maybe sweet treats at the hospital will be frowned upon, but who cares."

[ceydaxbalik]

"Oh my goodness, you're so right," Ceyda realizes when the blonde mentions her mood. What if nothing looks right on the day? Maybe she did need multiple options and neither of these wildly patterned dresses were it. "I usually do black, navy, grey.." she listed, letting out a small chuckle. "I wanted to be daring but neither of those dresses are really it and you've just reminded me that it totally depends on how I'm feeling on the day 'cause what if it's one of those days where you just....hate everything." @freyjadahl

Nils was in a good mood inside of the pram, he was a nice boy overall. He's three months old now, and his big blue hues are staring toys inside of his stroller. ❛ I mean, yes. But you're not buying it for me, remember it's for you and your decision in the end. ❜ She winked at her playfully and rested her other hand on the pram too.

❛ If you buy something that you'll second guess all the time, it'll be a bit stressful. There is a chance you may regret purchasing it or be proud of yourself for your decision to innovate. Then again, it'll depend on your mood.❜ She knew how stressful is to buy something that needs to be adjusted all the time, she recalls the time she was in a show and an event that her wardrobe that was malfunctioned right in the eyes of the public, so she had to find somebody to help her out. ( @ceydaxbalik )

[ceydaxbalik]

"Wise man," Ceyda nodded her head in agreement. Her eyes went back to the dresses, both were terrible options. Maybe she needed to be looking at neutral colors. The only reason she wanted to branch out was because her closet was full of neutral tones. But it was all a bit overwhelming. "Being daring is slightly overrated," she scoffed, a laugh followed. "I have a work event coming up - I don't really know what to wear for it so my brain went straight to colors and patterns. I don't wanna stand out at this event it's probably not a great idea." She went to shake his hand firmly. "Ceyda, it's nice to meet you Gabe." @is-it-gabriel

Gabe was just trying to be as helpful as he could be considering how abysmal he was at everything to do with fashion. He wanted to make the excuse that he was colorblind or something of that nature but that would have been a total lie. He wouldn’t have been able to be a detective still if he was this sort of blind. The truth was he was just bad with fashion. He could find stuff for himself but that had been a huge process considering he had to sort of rediscover what Gabe liked versus when he had to love as Owen. “ seriously?” He asked back realizing she was agreeing with his advice. “ there’s no way in hell I’m gonna lie to anyone about my fashion knowledge let alone when it’s between stuff I don’t know about beyond patterns. “ he admitted again. He also knew never to lie to women. It never worked out in his favor.

“ honestly it really just is one of those things where it’s like what can I get the most use out of or what do I see myself wearing more. Cause I’ve made bad decisions like that and I ended up having a sweater in my closet sitting there for over a year and I think it still had the tag on it” Gabe had bought it when he first moved back and he was in a bad state. He just needed more clothes but maybe he needed to be a bit more diplomatic about his decision making. “ honestly I’m surprised it helped? But yeah, no problem “ he offered finally before holding out a hand. “ I’m Gabe by the way “ @ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

"You do look like you have it together," Ceyda was quick to reassure him, a bright grin upon her face. Realistically she knew what the rest of what he was saying was right, but she also knew she probably shouldn't be taking any chances on bright patterns and what not. It really wasn't her. "I could try sea glass," she tilted her head to the side as if to think about it, maybe she would have better luck there. "Yeah, it is like a treasure hunt, huh?" Sifting through the racks and finding treasures. She'd found many at hidden gems at the thrift store over the years. "At least you've got a couple of months to sort it out. What's the vibe of the show? I can do my best to help but you might not wanna take advise from the crazy pattern lady." @jaspermorgan

@ceydaxbalik

Jasper smiled awkwardly and let out a laugh. "They are... but if you have to pick, you might as well choose the lesser of two evils, right? Or, in this case, the slightly less ugly garment. But I just like the ease and simplicity of having a co-ordinating outfit and how it just looks good, but it also has the possibility to be something more with a bold scarf or something. Though I have always hoped I look like I have it together." He laughed again. "Fake it until you make it, right?"

And that included shopping in a thrift store. It was an Aladin's cave of weird and wonderful, old and new, mundane and eclectic, and honestly Jasper liked it more than he thought he might. There were no rules- anything goes under this roof- and it was a pleasant change from the rigid structure of his own life.

"And you have a keen eye; excellent observation," Jasper then added. "I don't go to thrift stores. In fact, I'd never been into one until I moved here almost nine years ago. I'd be thrilled to find some hidden gems, but truthfully I'm on the hunt for a costume for a performance I'm putting on in a few months. I'm trying to be prepared and do it sooner rather than leaving it until the last minute. I'm hoping the things I might need will be stowed in some corner of the store and I have to seek them out, like a treasure hunt. I suppose that's the fun of thrifting."

[ceydaxbalik]

"Honestly I would much rather be in black, grey or white," Ceyda admitted with a small chuckle. "You're right though it's an occasion thing. I don't really have any nice dresses to wear to things, so this is me branching out and trying new things. Maybe both? Or neither," it was clear she was still undecided. "I don't even have nice shoes anymore," she hadn't treated herself since her separation. "That makes sense, to be in the middle. My parents weren't even like that, they definitely lived the neutral wardrobe lifestyle. I never wear prints either so I should probably be starting with just colors." @addisonxoconnell

"Maybe it just depends on the occasion?" Addison asked, not entirely sure if that would help narrow it down even more between the two dresses. She completely understood where the woman was coming from, though. There were times when she did want to be more adventurous and maybe if she looked at it the right way, now might be the best time to get out of her comfort zone. "Or what could you see yourself wearing again? That usually helps me."

She may have a cohesive palette with enough clothing to style a different outfit thousands of ways, but it truly showed how boring her life was. Addison was never the one to make exciting plans, but it certainly put a light into how she continued to keep herself in a corner. "I think my siblings helped out the most. My brother tends to wear mostly black, and my sister goes towards the other side of the spectrum with any and all colors. It felt right to be somewhere in the middle." @ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

"Okay, so will you be my plus one to this thing?" Ceyda asked, her voice was warm. She'd grown quite close with Nari after working together. Ceyda was only slightly more extroverted than her friend, so she wouldn't be surprised if the invitation was declined.

She took a look around the thrift store, a grin appearing upon her face. "Come on let's find you something to wear too." @narixryu

Nari chuckled at Ceyda’s antics, her smile widening. “You’d absolutely own it, no question. Besides, if you’re stealing the DJ’s playlist, you’ll definitely be in control of the vibe... and looking amazing doing it." She raised an eyebrow, her voice dropping slightly in playful warning. “If this goes south, you’re gonna have to explain to everyone how I got you into it, though.”

She glanced at the magenta dress with a nod of approval. “You made the right call. That one’s gonna have them all talking. But hey, if it’s a disaster, you can always blame me. I’ll take the hit.”

@ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

"I was gonna say, I definitely may see them again," Ceyda scrunched up her nose at the thought. She was still getting used to standing on her own two feet even a year on from her separation. "It's for a charity event thing, I end up at a lot of them now. I get invited to them and conferences with people from the hospital, I'm not even an official doctor yet." She knew enough, that's for sure. But some how she'd made friends in the right places to be invited to these things. "Shoes," she repeated, nodding instantly. Heels. She knew they'd look best and what's beauty without pain, right? Without hesitation, she wandered off to where the blonde directed her. "Silver, I think?" She questioned, holding up a pair of silver strappy heels. "Or should I go for those black pumps? I'll have to go get a pedi otherwise." @thelucexcaldwell

Lucinda all out grinned in response, even playfully saluting her, "It's my default energy, so I'm glad to be of service. Because yeah, fuck what people think. Most people who see you and could potentially judge will literally never see you again? And if they're someone in your life and still have the audacity to judge, they can say it to your face and potentially lose the right to be in your life in the first place. So all in all, a win in my book." Luce said it simply, shrugging at herself. Anyone in her life knew exactly who she was, and if they had a problem with it, then maybe they shouldn't be in her life at all. Clearly this woman needed to have the same mindset.

"We have some decent heels here, if you wanna look them over? Back left." She motioned to the back of the store where the shoes were. "Or if anything, just go with a simple shoe? A silver or a gold, depending on just how bold the makeup."

[ceydaxbalik]

"Well, I'm guessing it was the 80's, or the 90's...but these colors," she hesitated, looking at both brightly colored dresses. They definitely screamed 80's. Ceyda then motioned to it, her head tilting to the side. "You should try it on and send him that pic. I could, but would that be strange? Your dad will be like who the hell is this?" She let out a chuckle. "Might be better coming from you." @reaganmurphy

"It's too hard not to. My dad definitely shows me groups that have colors like that dress. It's just such an intense color that the memories flood back easily." She looks over the dress again and she already knows her dad would definitely tell her that someone from a group he liked back in the day would fit it perfectly. "It would work perfectly for those. Might have to snap a photo of the dress so I can send it to my dad. I already know he'd have an opinion about it."

[ceydaxbalik]

Her gaze flicked to the electric blue dress, still draped over her arm, and she gave it a final glance before setting it back on the rack. “Okay, magenta wins,” she said decisively, looking back at Mariana with a small, self-satisfied grin.

At Mariana’s question, Ceyda hesitated for a moment before shrugging. “It’s for this charity mixer. Work-related, but not work, you know? One of those things where I’m supposed to smile a lot, meet important people, and pretend I’m not ready to drop after a 14-hour shift.” She laughed softly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s not really my scene, but... I figured, why not try something bold? If I’m going to be uncomfortable anyway, might as well do it in style.” @marivelasc

Mariana raised an eyebrow as she looked at both dresses. She was leaning towards the vibrant magenta with gold. It felt majestic, but the other option was fun too. "I guess I'm both." That probably didn't help. "Go with what makes you feel most comfortable." As cliche as it sounded, it worked. She guessed in a way she was a vibe over coordination girly.

"Can I ask what the occasion the dress would be for?" She loved a good shopping for the perfect fit. She loved fashion in the way to express her own self. @ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

Ceyda couldn’t help but laugh at Gabe’s bluntness. There was something disarming about how unapologetically unsure he was. She glanced down at the dresses in her hands and then back at him, her smile softening. “You know, I think ‘vibes over coordination’ might actually be the best answer,” she said, shaking the magenta dress lightly. “At least you’re honest about it. Half the time, I pretend I know what I’m doing when really, I’m just hoping no one notices the craziness.”

Ceyda held up the magenta one and glanced at it again, her lips quirking in a wry smile. “Paisley would definitely be a curveball. Maybe for another day when I’m feeling extra daring.” She laughed softly and draped the magenta dress over her arm. “Alright,” she said, stepping back toward the racks with a smirk. “I think I’ll take your vibes-over-coordination approach and run with it. If this dress ends up being a mistake, at least it’ll be an interesting one. Thanks for the input—chaotic as it was, I think it helped.” @is-it-gabriel

Gabe was probably the worst person to ask anything about fashion or honestly about clothes in general. The man dressed fine but he also was still trying to figure out his own style after having lived undercover for a number of years. They don’t say that ever but having to put on a fake personality and life really had a way of changing your interests. What the hell did he even like now?

“ fuck “ Gabe replied with humor to his voice. “ I’m the worst at this. Paisleys cool of you like vintage patterns? I don’t know much else I’m so sorry “ Gabe relief shaking his head. “ well I mean I am vibes over coordination cause i can’t match shot to save my life “ @ceydaxbalik

[ceydaxbalik]

“The magenta does feel... less risky. And you’re totally right about the blue one—it’s giving serious early-2000s rom-com energy. Fun to watch, maybe not to wear.” Ceyda adjusted her grip on the dresses, her fingers brushing against the fabric as she glanced at Addison again. “Honestly? I’m usually more like you. Simple, cohesive, nothing too loud. Comfort’s kind of my default—especially when most of my time is spent in scrubs.” She smiled faintly, almost self-conscious. “But every once in a while, I get this urge to, I don’t know, try something different. Even if it’s a disaster.”

She shrugged, shifting her weight and looking at the dresses again. “I guess the magenta feels like the safer bet, but I keep wondering... is that the move?" Ceyda tilted her head, smiling softly at Addison. “You seem like someone who’s got their style figured out, though. I mean, cohesive color palette? That’s goals right there.” @addisonxoconnell

"I feel like I definitely don't qualify for that. My choices in clothing mostly deal with comfort rather than fashion. I also tend to stick to a simple and cohesive color palette." Addison warned the other woman as she looked over the two different options. She didn't do bold, so it either one really screamed out of her comfort zone.

"I feel like the magenta one might be better. The blue one feels more Thirteen going on Thirty vibes, which is good, but I don't get party vibes with that movie." @ceydaxbalik