afcts

[afcts]

following her sister's lead, afet took deliberate steps to keep up with the pace as the soft breeze enveloped them. it was a bit early for her to be out in the city, but she could make an exception for alev. appreciating the morning, though? that was a step too far. and while she didn't groan or pout like she was six, the tell-tale signs of her not being wholly enthralled with their activity were there. "it could be nice, without the... people." when afet joined her sister on a rare occasion, they often encountered a few characters on their walk which caused her to grimace. mrs. yang included. "she's going to give someone's jaw a nasty surprise some day." hence afet was mindful to stay out of the older woman's path, not wanting to be on the receiving end of any sudden movement. "can i tempt you to swap this for a pilates session next time?" that was more her forté.

closed starter : @afcts !!

where : park !!

"Come now, Afet, it's a beautiful morning; stretch those limbs if it helps you appreciate this beautiful morning." Alev keeps her pace steady along the park path, breathing in the crisp air that actually makes her feel human again. "I swear these walks are the only thing keeping me sane these days." She glances at her youngest sister, grateful for the company even if Afet probably thinks she's being a bit ridiculous about the whole routine. But honestly, after everything that happened in Silicon Valley, Alev knows exactly what happens when she ignores the warning signs. The walks aren't negotiable anymore. They're survival. "Did you see Mrs. Yang earlier? She was doing those tai chi moves again." Alev shakes her head, amused. "I respect the dedication, but before the sun even rises, it looks like she's fighting invisible enemies."

[afcts]

curious eyes scanned hayat's face and she shook her head, no apology needed where the two of them were concerned. "three days or three weeks?" she quipped, although there was no malice in her tone. "you sound like you need a break— and i'm probably not the first person to say that. but since you're experiencing exhaustion at unexpected decency... we may need an intervention." and she was talking a week in the sun, with no delicate acquisitions to keep hayat up all night, poring over fine details. "how does venice sound?" she asked, a light glint in her eye that showed how afet's mind had started whirring. putting her glass to her lips, she takes a sip. "the place wouldn't burn down without you being available 24/7, even if your boss behaves that way."

"Sweet Fortune it is, and alright, I'll stop murdering my lunch," Hayat said, finally setting her fork down properly. She peered up at Afet with a tired smile. "Sorry, you're right to call me out on this." God, where did she even start explaining this mess? Work was draining her completely these days, but that wasn't even the worst part. Zaviyar had been acting weird lately, actually nice for once, and it was throwing her off more than she wanted to admit. Yesterday he'd brought her coffee without being asked, which never happens. "It's just been a long week and people are being unexpectedly decent to me, which somehow makes everything else feel more exhausting." She picked up her wine glass instead, grateful for something that actually tasted good. "Also, I'm pretty sure I've been running on caffeine and spite for the past three days."

[afcts]

@ofgrenvde

[afcts]

that bridge had been burned years ago, she mused internally. there was no hint of surprise on her face as she considered his words, finding it lined up with lucian's behaviour perfectly. "i don't blame you. there comes a point where you have no choice but to give up." ironically, that's what it seemed lucian had felt with her, given their most recent interaction. she wondered momentarily just how much she should divulge— though leaving it at mere history would be far too vague to comprehend. "you could say that," she said, "he grew tired of jumping through hoops he says i was putting him through, but i wasn't aware that i was to undergo a personality transplant to suit his whims." not that there was the slightest chance of that on the cards either. "don't get me wrong, i wasn't the easiest to be around," still wasn't, "but he knew that."

History with Lucian. His brother's got a talent for leaving wreckage behind him, and apparently she got caught in it too. At least she's being straight with him instead of pretending to be neutral. "Yeah, he's good at that," Thomas says, not bothering to hide his frustration. "Burning bridges seems to be his specialty these days." He pauses, studying her face. "The birth order thing is complete bullshit and he knows it. I've tried with him. Tried to be a brother, but he has it in his mind that I'm the devil and I'm getting tired of defending myself." The honesty is refreshing. She could've kept that information to herself and let him walk into whatever minefield exists between them. Instead she chose to be upfront about it. "I appreciate you telling me. Whatever went down between you two, at least now I know where you're coming from." He leans forward slightly. "Did he pull the same entitled act with you that he's pulling with me now?"

[afcts]

afet smiled, knowing every word of giovanna's to be true. "��you know what, maybe i was off my game, or maybe he just folded far too easy." that tended to happen when men with over-inflated egos were faced with people who could do real damage. not of any physical kind, where she was concerned, of-course. "maybe i could put you on speed dial for situations like that. or," she grimaced, "let's not tempt fate." she could do without having to replace more vehicles in her possession.

giovanna didn't really like when people messed with her things or treated them with disrespect. "i would have definitely made him think twice about doing it to someone else. i can't believe how some dickheads in devil's junction move around as if they own the place. i would have made him feel about two feet tall, would've completely humiliated him in front of everyone. men have to be put in their place."

[afcts]

"and?" she deadpanned, unflinching at his loudness in his voice. there was a blankness in her eyes, not seeing the problem in her behaviour— she never had. in fact, those who had walked into her life after lucian would argue that he hadn't even seen the worst of it. for he had bruised her ego gravely, which made her all the more volatile. afet didn't do hurt, deflected from it by outsourcing it to a third party, instead. it wasn't about bottling up, just a sheer refusal to acknowledge that he (or anyone for that matter) had ever inflicted any form of pain on her. "that's cute— almost like you think that my behaviour was ever up for discussion, or change." she was, in every which way, defiant to the core; take it or leave it. and lucian had chosen to leave. "you know, you could've had the courage to tell me all of this when you walked instead of slinking away without a word, like a coward." that was what she thought of him, back when he left and now when he was stood before her.

The words came out before he could stop them, and honestly, he didn't want to. She was standing there acting like she was some kind of victim in all this, like he'd just randomly decided to destroy both their lives for fun. "You think I didn't know what I was signing up for?" She wanted to talk about handling things? About running away from defeat? God, she really didn't get it at all. "I knew exactly who you were. The problem wasn't that I couldn't handle you." He could hear his voice getting louder, but whatever. They were already making a scene, might as well commit to it. "The problem was that every single day felt like I was walking through a minefield, wondering what would set you off next." This was what they were good at, apparently. Tearing each other apart. He'd forgotten how exhausting it was, this constant need to defend himself against accusations he didn't even understand. "You know what's really crazy though? You standing there acting like I was the only problem in that relationship. Maybe if you weren't such a pain in the ass, I would have stayed. Have you thought about that?"

[afcts]

"i wish i had the answer to that," she nods. "let me guess... someone thomas opposes and vice versa? that's quite the thing to get yourself in the middle of." but she didn't fault her for it— admired it even, the way vera was crystal clear about balancing her relationship and her individuality. lucky for afet, she wasn't torn between people with on differing ends of the scale as there was seldom place for conflicting opinions around her person, but she could still sympathise with the conundrum the other woman was caught in. from where she sat, it didn't look like the kind of thing that went away easily, given that vera had been distracted by it. "they're both pulling you in the opposite direction, huh?"

Afet wasn't pushing or prying - just extending something real without strings attached. It felt different; most people around her had ulterior motives. She found herself studying Afet's face, noting the careful way she'd positioned the question. When was the last time someone had offered help without wanting something in return? The thought made her realize how cynical she'd become, how automatically she searched for ulterior motives in every interaction. Maybe that was Thomas rubbing off on her - his world where kindness was currency and favors were debts waiting to be collected. "Thanks. I appreciate that, really." The words felt rusty in her mouth, like she'd forgotten how to accept genuine concern. "I'm going to tell you this because I need to get this out of my chest. But can you tell me why are men such assholes? I'm trying to be a good friend and a good girlfriend, but that's wrong too."

[afcts]

afet could feel the tension radiating off hayat's shoulders from across the table. it seemed like it had seeped into every pore, turning her pasta into a victim as substitute for another. there was something bigger at play than the cake, but the only thing afet could think of was work. that boss of hers was an ass— and that was putting it lightly. "we can fix that by dropping by sweet fortune after this and get something better." there was nobody she trusted with desserts more than millie. "now, are you going to tell me what's going on or do i need to watch you stab at that wholly innocent dish like it's your worst enemy for the next hour?" she clasped a hand around her wine glass and leaned back into her seat.

closed starter @afcts

Hayat stabbed her penne arrabbiata with enough force to scrape porcelain, the metallic screech drawing glances from nearby tables. She didn't care. Today had been absolute hell, and this pasta was paying the price for everyone else's stupidity. The fork twisted through the noodles like she was performing surgery, except this patient deserved every brutal cut. "You know what truly pisses me off is when I'm minding my own business and people just won't leave me alone," she muttered, taking another aggressive stab at her lunch. The words came out sharper than intended, but honestly? She was past caring about volume control. "I know we're supposed to be civilized, but this Karen truly annoyed me. And I thought Zaviyar was Satan. That woman took the cake."

[afcts]

it was like they were going around in circles where sasha wasn't quite seeing what afet was looking for. "look, your platitudes aren't doing anything for me, here, and i'm getting a bit tired of the standard customer service drivel. so let's do this, you can put the details and any evidence in an email— i'm sure there's one on file. i'll take care of the incident and the staff can go back to doing... nothing." frustration evident in her tone, afet settled herself with a sharp exhale before her lips pressed into a tight line. "the only thing i ask you to take care of is a decent ride home. but if that's too much to handle, let me know." and she'd arrange for a driver to pick her up. but she could give them the benefit of the doubt for not screwing that up at least and opted to give them a small chance.

⸻ Sasha took a small breath, squaring her shoulders as she faced Afet, trying to maintain a calm exterior despite the storm of exhaustion building inside her. It seems the night is longer than she originally thought. Oh for fuck sakes! The phrase came to her mind. Her fingers twitched slightly at her side—a tell that she was holding back 🤣 own frustration. ❛ I understand your frustration, and you're absolutely right to be upset. This isn’t something we take lightly, and I assure you, incidents like this aren’t the norm here. ❜

She glanced briefly at the damaged vehicle, then back at Afet. ❛ It’s been a long night for everyone, but we’re handling it, and I’ll personally make sure a report is filed properly. If you choose to escalate this further, you’ll have our full cooperation. ❜ A beat passed. Her voice remained professional, but her eyes briefly flicked with a trace of exhaustion.

❛ I know this doesn’t undo what happened, but please know we’re treating it seriously. This isn’t the kind of place where things like this just… happen. ❜ She offered a small nod, as much for herself as for Afet—trying to keep everything together a little longer.

[afcts]

she nodded, "some men are brutes. ego comes before all else, even at the expense of looking like a fool..." from what she knew of emilio, he fit into that mould perfectly, carrying the chip on his shoulder from jasmine's decision to walk away from a bad situation. "and how do you feel about that— being just friends?" she asked, not with any intent to pry but she wanted to give the other woman a chance to sound out if she needed or wanted to.

a huff managed to slip past her painted lips, "you'd think so, but it's almost like he doesn't want me to be happy or to move on." jasmine wasn't surprised. emilio was the epitome of crazy and she wasn't sure she was ever going to be able to shake him. she tried though, that's for sure. "i mean, it's not like i'm actually seeing anyone anyways. the only men i see outside of work is akash because he's handling my case against him and well, grant but grant's made it perfectly clear he's not a romance guy. we're just friends."

[afcts]

afet listened quietly as thomas made his case, doing her best not to let her bias against lucian cloud her judgement. her family had their own succession to deal with; she was not involved in it for lack of interest, but understood the gravity of the situation at hand as a result. she nodded, "lucking out by virtue of birth order is an archaic concept. he should know better than to use that as his attack line." but before she delved into the problem further, there was something she deemed necessary to share with thomas. her personal life was nobody's business, but as he already had people working their own angles, she didn't want him to think that she would be one of them. "full disclosure— we have history. and it's not pretty. it was a long time ago but i figured i should let you know, so you don't think i'm posturing because i have an axe to grind."

closed starter : @afcts !!

where : cloud 94 !!

Thomas is tired of explaining himself to everyone about Midnight Spades. His brother keeps acting like Thomas stole his inheritance, but that's not how any of this works. Dad saw who could actually run a business. Lucian wants to split everything fifty-fifty just because they share DNA. Never mind that Thomas spent years building connections, learning the tech side, making the casino profitable. His brother shows up demanding half of what he never worked for. "I appreciate you coming out here," he says once his companion arrives. "Everyone in the family has an opinion about what I should do with Lucian, but I need to talk to someone who isn't trying to position themselves." He keeps his voice low but casual. "My brother thinks I'm screwing him over on purpose. Truth is, Dad handed me those keys because I earned them, not because I was born first."

[afcts]

i like asking a question to someone even though i already know the answer just to see if the person will lie

[afcts]

get over yourself. that sent her temper flaring and she shook her head, clenching a fist to steady herself. he didn't get it, she didn't want him to grovel— but he was not wrong that she wanted him to not be in the same vicinity as her. what she wanted was for this run-in not to have happened. but she couldn't change what had transpired, not now, not all those years ago. "it was never meant to be easy," she said as a bemused sigh left her. what part of her screamed sunshine and roses? if that was what he had expected, he never would have become involved with her. "i never claimed to be a soft, secure safety net. if you didn't know what you were signing up for, lucian, that's on you," she shrugged, showing little regard for what he had shared with her. if he had chosen to bite off more than he could chew when he had chosen to be with her, she wasn't responsible for how he felt about it. "maybe, just maybe, you should've picked to be with someone you could handle, and wouldn't have to run away from defeat."

Her words hit him like a slap, and honestly? He was getting pretty tired of being the only villain in this story. She stood there acting like he was some kind of monster for making a comparison, when really all he'd done was try to apologize for both things at once. But sure, let's make this about how he's terrible at everything, including basic human interaction. "Oh, get over yourself," he said, and wow, it felt good to finally say what he was thinking instead of tiptoeing around her feelings. "You want me to grovel? Fine. I'm sorry I bumped into you. I'm sorry I walked away. I'm sorry I exist in the same city as you." He could feel his temper rising, that heat that used to come right before their biggest fights. This was what they were good for anyway. Annoying the hell out of each other.

The thing was, she wasn't wrong. He had walked away like a coward, and yeah, that was worse than bumping into someone on the street. But standing here getting lectured like some kind of child wasn't exactly bringing out his better angels either. She wanted brutal honesty? He could do that too. "You know what's funny though? You're standing there acting all high and mighty, but you were never exactly easy to be with either." The words came out sharper than he meant them to, but whatever. She'd started this. "Every time we talk, it feels like I’m taking a test I didn't know I was supposed to study for. I have to be at my best behavior to make you happy. But sure, I'm the only one who fucked up." He should probably stop talking now. This was spiraling into exactly the kind of fight they used to have, the kind that left them both feeling like garbage afterward. But something about her attitude made it impossible to just take the hit and walk away quietly.

[afcts]

"i think it was 2% of his net worth. which is already embarrassing, because driving around like that will add up to 20, 30... until you're at 0%," she shrugged. it was quite typical of a startup guy's arrogance, chip away at quick earnings with the kind of recklessness they couldn't afford. "you're right, though, i should've made it worse for him," she chuckled softly. he'd do that to himself if he didn't fix up, she figured a return to basics was imminent. "just curious— what would you have done?" a smirk toyed on her features.

giovanna didn't even realize who it was pulling up in that car until afet physically climbed out. that wasn't the car that she was used to seeing her in and if she were being honest, it kind of threw her off. it was as if the other could read her mind because before she could ask what happened, she was going on about some guy at the climb and that's when it all made sense. shaking her head in response, she scoffed. "i swear. some people have no respect for other's things. i bet he'll think twice from here on out when he's driving. it sounds like you took it easy on him. i'm not sure i would have been as nice."

[afcts]

it was halfway through the point she was making, that she realised vera was not with her. she shook her head at the apology, "that's fine. happens to us all." afet, herself, had sat across someone with her mind elsewhere at times. the tendency to fixate helped her greatly with being able to unpick any problems and each and every solution to them, weighing up the pros and cons with a clinical ease. sometimes, though, that laser-focus served as a detriment. for a stubborn unwillingness to yield in even the most impossible situations was ever present. when vera piped up again, she studied her features carefully. "anything i can help with?" came her offer, with the unspoken understanding that vera wasn't obliged to take her up on it.

CLOSED STARTER

LOCATION: Lucky Crumb FOR: @afcts

Vera picked at the cardboard sleeve on her coffee cup, barely paying attention to what was being discussed with Afet. Her mind kept wandering to the stack of documents waiting in her studio - three rush jobs that all needed to be perfect, and she was already behind schedule. "Sorry," she said. "I'm being terrible company right now. My head's just not here." She took a sip of her latte, which had gone lukewarm while she thought back about that day. Thomas had been texting her about dinner plans, but honestly, she was still hurt by their last conversation and she needed time apart. "There's just been a lot going on lately," she added, finally meeting Afet's eyes. The whole protective thing was getting old fast. She understood his family had enemies, understood the risks that came with dating someone like him, but being treated like she couldn't handle herself was another matter entirely. His concern came from good place, she knew that, but it felt suffocating rather than sweet. 

[afcts]

afet was silent, giving jasmine the space to voice her thoughts carefully as her fingers ran along the edge of her glass. "he's not the type to move in silence when... making certain plays, no? if it's any solace, i haven't heard anything." in her line of work, afet kept eyes and ears around the city. but even still, she couldn't be quite certain if emilio would stick to his general disposition. "you'd have thought he would have taken the hint by now..." what with jasmine's situation with grant developing as the days went on.

CLOSED STARTER FOR @afcts FT. JASMINE & AFET

"-you know something?" jasmine spoke as she glanced over at her friend, her french tipped manicured nails tapping against her wine glass. "it's been a little while since i've heard from emilio. i don't know if i should take that as a good thing or a bad thing." her ex husband had kept his distance since grant had stepped in and she was afraid of what that meant. at least, a part of her was. "do you think he's planning something?"

[afcts]

it was somewhat a peculiar sight, seeing lucian speechless. but what he did next is what baffled her— diving to the ground to collect the items that had escaped from her bag. it was easier to access the inside of a kelly without utilising the locking function and she hadn't quite planned for the eventuality of colliding with someone with enough force to result in this. afet was stunned, rooted in her stance as she watched over him, eyes scanning the ground as he gathered her belongings. a younger version of her would have been tempted to crouch down and take over the job herself. if anything, it would shatter the air of indifference. his words broke the silence, to which she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

it was only when he brought up the past that she showed a hint of emotion. the emotion in question being disbelief at how easily he had managed to thread that in. as if bumping into her was on the same level of wrongdoing as what he had done by disappearing on her. granted, she was no saint then or now, but she felt incredibly cheated by the way he had tacked that on. "save it," she she said in a low but even tone. her gaze was sharp as she took back the items from him and put them in her bag, looking down momentarily to make sure she was dropping them (at once) in the opening. "neither did i," she agreed, tone mildly obvious that she was happier with that. "let's just stick to the apology for today. because yes, you can fuck right off around the corner with your sheepish sorry," she scoffed, "—colliding into someone warrants the same approach to walking out on them? nicely done, lucian." she had gotten over it, but she was not evolved enough to forgive him. his actions were intolerable in her eyes.

His insides felt like they'd been replaced with static electricity as he dropped to his knees, scrambling to collect the scattered papers before the breeze could carry them away. "I…" he started, his voice catching like it belonged to someone else. That bitter edge in her tone cut deeper than she probably realized. Years ago, he'd been the one walking away, convinced he was doing the right thing, convinced he was protecting them both from becoming a mess like his parents. Now, with her standing here, that conviction seemed childish and self-serving. Papers scattered around their feet, her eyes burned with the same intelligence that had made him fall for her in the first place. The same sharp assessment that could tear apart his code and rebuild it better. "You deserve a full apology," he said finally, reaching for a pen that had rolled against the curb, needing something to do with his hands that suddenly felt too large for his body. 

Papers, notebook, pens—each one collected to avoid looking at her face. "Not just for bumping into you. For everything else too." He paused, struggling to find words adequate for the weight of his regret. When did apologizing become so impossible? He wasn’t the greatest at this. Walking away felt far easier, but he also knew when to accept his mistake and apologize. "I didn't expect to see you again," he admitted, finally meeting Afet's gaze as he held out her belongings. It wasn't an excuse, it was the truth. He'd been hiding in his own city, taking roundabout routes to avoid any chances at running into her, and all it took was one distracted moment for this to happen. "That's not… I'm not trying to make this about me.” Great, now he sounded like an idiot. “I'm sorry. For today and for back then. I've owed you this for years and you can tell me to fuck off if you want. I won't blame you."