devrim-selvi

[devrim-selvi]

The surprise in Will's reaction conjured a laugh from the depth's of Devrim's chest. "Yeah... tell me about it.." With a sigh, he continued to confess. "I was shocked myself. I hadn't spoken to her mother since I was nineteen." There was some frustration, unspoken, on his end when it came to Savannah's delay in communication. She called once, she'd said, but once hardly felt like enough for something so important. It was a detail he tried brushing under the rug, as bringing up the conflict would only create division between himself and the daughter he was hopeful to know.

A warm congratulations met with a nod and a sheepish grin. "Thanks. Thank you, really. It's been an adjustment, but I've always known I wanted to be a father, so.." It was hardly the circumstances he'd imagined, but the desire remained the same. He wanted to be a father. A good one; like his own had been to him. "Yeah, yeah she is. Her name's Savannah. Great girl, really. Did a good job with our kid, too." He nodded, slowly. Silently, Devrim was grateful for Will's understanding. "It wasn't you, so you know. I had a great time. Life just... happened." Whether that meant the chapter between them was closed or not he couldn't say. What he had to give their relationship now with his new obligations felt less than what the other man deserved. "How have you been?" Devrim asked genuinely.

Will raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't known that. Then again, they'd only been able to talk about so much on that one, first date. He'd thought it had gone well at the time, that they'd talked for hours, got along better than he ever could have expected--but he supposed he'd been wrong. He might have asked what a man needed with two houses--was he getting into the landlord business?--when Devrim answered in the most unexpected way possible. Having chosen the exact wrong moment to take a sip of his coffee, Will spluttered, choked, and pounded his fist against his chest to stop the burning. "A-a daughter? Wow, that's--wow." Of all the reasons he'd expected for Devrim ghosting him--that he just wasn't interested, or that he'd fallen off a boat out to see and been eaten by sirens--this certainly hadn't been on the list.

"Congratulations!" The word was genuine. A surprise, maybe, but from the sound of it, a good surprise. He might not know Devrim well, but he knew enough to believe he was the kind of man to step up, to take this responsibility seriously. And if he was trying to buy the daughter a house--"The mother," he realized. "She's in town? Hence the house. Right. Wow. Yeah, no, um, don't worry about it. I'd have done the same." This wasn't entirely true--he was a rather good and dedicated texter--but he could still understand how such earth shattering news and the prospect of a whole new life would put everything else on the backburner.

[devrim-selvi]

A petulant I can do whatever I want was never spoken but visible in his eyes. The look hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, yet present in the silence that followed. There were enough people in Devrim's life trying to tell him how to live. "Is there another safe haven in Mississippi? I'd heard Lunar Cove was the last one.." A forty-five hour bus ride from where? He wondered but couldn't pay the attention to ask, as he still sought a way out of the woods. "That's entirely unnecessary." He assured Rio before pointing ahead. "I think that's the trail."

"You can't let fear of them stop you from living." She replied earnestly. She should have let it drop, him mumble should have told her it wasn't an invite to comment, but she couldn't help it. She lived her life in fear of all the ghosts that haunted her past, she didn't want Devrim to be the same. "Yeah, unless you count the 15 minutes where I was adamanet I was going to live in some random town in Mississippi after having been on a bus for forty-five hours." She shrugged. "Offer remains open - or I could give you a piggy back."

[devrim-selvi]

It was annoying when Ken was right. Not that Devrim would admit either of those things. He knew he needed to talk to Savannah about the house and a dozen other issues. The list of which felt endless at times, especially when all he wanted to do was enjoy the present. There was a time when he thought he'd never see her again, which made appreciating the now feel important. It was easy to let fear and experience convince him that what they shared now wouldn't last. As if she and Serra were too good to be true. "You think I can tell her that!?" Devrim asked with clear disbelief. "She's a siren! She loves the water, Ken."

With a dismissive wave and a sip of his coffee, Devrim dismissed the topic of Dilan's career. He had far too much to be responsible for now to worry about what job his cousin had. If she liked it, he'd support her. "You and me both.." He grumbled. "I didn't choose to duplicate. It just started happening to me, and I'm human! I'd never experienced magic for myself before." A defense that hardly made up for the damage, but he didn't know how to do that.

Ken simply shrugged, "It has to be yours or hers to decide. Either which way, it is a sizeable decision to make so talk and think things through. Does Savannah know your discomfort being around bodies of water? That should be mentioned if not already." Lest he find himself in a house on one of the islands. "That is one way of putting it. But hey, you're still alive so that's a good thing." Putting the jokes aside, he offered a nod, "Good. Maybe that'll get you stressing a little less about what Serra thinks of you?"

Ken couldn't help but laugh, "It doesn't translate well. Unless her next career path is a personal shopper for others, but I don't see that working out well either." At the mention of the duplicates, he instinctively rubbed at his temple, "Don't. Don't mention that night. I saw hell." If only he were being dramatic, tone and features held nothing but stoic seriousness. "You and him were responsible for breaking that tank and nearly killing us all." Because of that and being locked in he couldn't do anything for Rohan. he exhaled deeply pushing the irritation down enough to remain civil. "Fucking insane."

[devrim-selvi]

It wasn't that he was ignoring Savannah's narrowing glare, but that he knew she didn't really care. It was reassuring to him, though, that she'd tried to raise Serra right. "Oh no." He teased. "Not the swear jar." Suddenly, wave of nostalgia hit him that he didn't expect. A swell of grief followed, as Devrim recalled a time when he'd shared a similar moment with his parents.

Any melancholic reminiscing upended when he, unknowingly, put his foot in his mouth. He hadn't considered Serra would want to be a siren like her mother. A consideration he thought he should've made given his own desire for power. The want somewhat fleeting as of last night, when the man finally had his first taste of it. Magic spelled disaster by any name.

With wide eyes Devrim watched Savannah remedy the situation without hesitation. A gentle gesture that hit him like a truck. The measure of everything he'd missed out on sitting in front of him. A cup before him so deep he was drownin; overwhelmed and he wasn't the only one. He watched her exit until her golden hair disappeared from view. "Excuse me." Devrim didn't dare look at Vanessa as he spoke, then jumped up and fled the room in chase of Savannah.

The cool, night air was sobering in a way he was grateful for. It allowed Devrim to approach with a sense of calm he had not felt at the table. There wasn't a moment in which he questioned what Savannah was feeling, as he thought their hearts were still much the same. His arms were sure as they drew the siren in for a hug that further eased the man who held, nearly, everything he wanted in his hands.

"Well.. she didn't tell me to fuck off."

Savannah narrowed her eyes over at Dev, shaking her head playfully back and forth as she watched him laugh at their daughter's profanity, only for her to stiffen back a small laugh herself.

"This time only, otherwise it's the swear jar for you," She warned Serra as she slide into the seat beside her, finding herself having a hard time meeting Devrim's eyes for the fact that he might make her blush of all things. She had always wondered what it would be like if Devrim had been there and, now seeing Serra and him together, she found herself overcome with a wave of emotions she wasn't sure she was quite equipped to handle.

"I..." Serra trailed off, shrinking into herself in her seat at the mention of liking it in town. "Don't know if I'd say like, but it's alright I guess. At least the magic part of it anyway," Her eyes light up at the mention of magic as the fourteen year old leaned forward to sip away at her ice tea.

"Wolves kinda freak me out," Serra admitted after a prolonged beat. "Growin' fur all over your body like that sounds awful and this kid, Bobby Singer, was sayin' they break every bone in their body on every full moon of every month and, I don't know who they might have pissed off in another life, but that sounds like a faint worse than-"

"Serra," Sav cut her daughter off, being able to predict that she was about to swear again.

"H, E, Double Hockey sticks," She mouthed instead. But, at the mention of sirens, Serra's face fell. "I wish I could be a siren," She muttered under her breath.

Savannah watched the scene unfold in front of her—Serra chatting away, her eyes half-lidded but still bright with that spark she always got when she felt safe, when she felt seen. Her baby’s soft laughter mingled with his gentle teasing, and lord help her, it warmed Savannah’s heart in a way she hadn’t expected. Like sunshine after a cold snap. But even as that warmth settled in her chest, it was tugged down by a weight she knew too well. Her throat tightened, eyes stinging before she could blink fast enough to keep the tears at bay. All that time, she thought. All them years of her raising Serra alone, scared out of her mind, convinced he didn’t care. The nights she sat on the bathroom floor, hand pressed over her belly, trying not to cry so loud that her mamma could hear. She’d been so damn afraid.

Quietly, she stood, brushing back a loose curl from Serra’s cheek and pressing a kiss soft to her forehead. “I know, baby,” she whispered, voice thick as she swallowed back the ache. “But you’re perfect just the way you are.”

Serra wrinkled her nose with a sleepy little frown, yawning as she half-protested something unintelligible, but Savannah gave her a gentle nudge and a crooked smile. “Go on now, bed’s waitin’.” She watched their daughter’s feet shuffle up the stairs. And once she was gone, the smile fell. Savannah turned away, pressing a hand to her chest like she could steady the storm rolling inside.

“I’ll be right back,” she murmured more to herself than anyone else, slipping back out to the balcony. The night air was cool, sharp and biting as she wrapped her arms around herself, staring out into the quiet dark, and let herself feel it—the love, the loss, and all the miles between.

[devrim-selvi]

In the months that had passed since Halloween, despite the abundance of chaos that ensued, it was impossible for Devrim to forget Hande. A woman with whom he'd never spoken, yet someone whose death caused him great worry. Not in mourning but in concern for her murderer. It was a lofty weight to bare; having killed someone. A burden Devrim understood, although in a much different sort of situation. "She is." His confirmation simple as not to create a problem where there wasn't, presently, one. "I have new responsibilities." He explained. "I have a daughter to protect." If it were only him, Devrim would stay without question. For Dilan and the community, as well as out of his own fascination and curiosity of the supernatural. Yet, he had to put Serra above that. It's what his parents would've done.

"There are many great moments." He agreed and wasn't arguing that. "I just.. couldn't live with myself if something happens to her. You understand? It's not about what I want or how I feel anymore."

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Dilan looked up when he put the food in front of her and she just took the container from him. Using the chop sticks with her right hand as she held onto the container with the left. “I mean Hande is gone…” Which meant she at least wasn’t being hunted by a crazy person. “I’m not against it.” Twirling the noodles around in the container. “I wouldn’t go without Leyla though, who comes with Ken. So the answer is probably a strong no.” She told him with a hint of a smile. “Why? This town got you ready to pack your bags?” She questioned, looking over at him. “I promise it’s not all bad around here. There some really great moments.”

Putting the untouched food down on the table, she sighed heavily. “I mean there’s a lot of bad too, but, this is home.” This is where everyone she loved was and there was no way she could walk away from all of them just like that.

[devrim-selvi]

While Devrim didn't speak French, it was easy to imply what the words meant given obvious context clues. "You're from there?" A questioned, at first, posed without context. "France?" He'd been born in Turkey, although his memory of it were few and far between. Devrim was a small child when his family immigrated to the United States to be close to his cousin and her parents. A decision made without his input that would change the trajectory of his life, and others, forever. Would he even know about the supernatural? Devrim had to wondered. Had his parents not come to America? Wonderings one could never, truly, know. "Radioactive?" His brows knit together in confusion. "Do you mean rabies?" It took Devrim a moment to answer the next question, as he thought about their neighbors. "There's one, yeah. I forget her name. She's married to the pack alpha." Whether the witch he spoke of had a familiar or not he didn't know. "You want to hunt the raccoon down while he sleeps..?"

"A rustling. A shuffling. Un bruissement. Oui." Ignacio cocked his head to one side, his eyes giving Devrim a look up and down, illuminated in the lantern's glow. "If it were a squi...a squi...wel...hmm. It must be radioactive, yes?" His native French evidently gave him some trouble with that particular word. "Familiars can be large, I understand. Do you know any witches near here?" He did not really believe a titanic squirrel were wandering about the woods, but this remark seemed an effort to humor the other as he followed along. "Hmm. That is true. There are outsiders in these trees. Perhaps they have sent the animals wandering." His gaze scanned the trashcans, seeing no sign of the creature. "I should look for him in the daylight when he is asleep. I just do not want him to upset the hives. They are fragile after the winter. Eggs have been laid, and their survival is...not guaranteed. Their sisters will also defend themselves. It is no good for scavengers. Nature is unkind. I want only to relocate him someplace safer."

[devrim-selvi]

"Should have?" Devrim asked in surprise. His brow knit together, before his head began to shake. "Enjoyable until one of those rogue wolves from the dances find us." His pessimism was a mumble but spoken in earnest. It was hard for Devrim to remain positive with the turn for the worst Lunar Cove had taken. Disaster after disaster plague the small town. He wondered, daily, if it was the right place for him and his family. "Have you?" A small detail, but a detail nevertheless. Something Rio rarely gave, Devrim had come to notice. "Absolutely not." His words were spoken firmly. "I'd rather take my chances with the wolves."

"We definitely should have gone off the trails, I am quite enjoying being off the trails, even if we are walking in circles. Makes you see something different to everyone else." She mused, looking around and the forest that cocooned them. "I hate to admit it - I have zero idea what way we came from, I have lived in cities all my life. I couldn't point you north if it would save my life." The vampire admitted, she liked to think herself capable, but hiking was something out of her realm of comfort. "You remember I'm a vampire right? If you're getting really worried I could scoop you up bridal-style and run until we found a road." The thought of it made a small tug at her lips.

[devrim-selvi]

Vanessa was insufferable, but Devrim would bare her worst ten times over to be in Serra's space. Nothing more precious in his life now, than the little girl he was only now getting to know. Yet, in her he saw such familiarity. His mother's nose, and his father's chin. It wasn't until Serra spoke that he saw a glimmer of Savannah. Much more than a glimmer as the girl continued. He had to laugh at her profanity. An action he realized, after, probably wasn't typically appropriate for a father with his daughter, but their dynamic was different.

"You're excused." With a chuckle, he winked at Savannah. A silent nod to the foul language he'd heard from her when they were young. Albeit, older then that their daughter was now. It wasn't hard to imagine where Serra had picked up such phrasing. "I'm glad you like it here." When Devrim moved to town, his fascination was much the same. He spent a great deal of time enamored by magic. Although no species more alluring to him than the fae. It was ironic, he thought, that he'd somehow always been connected to them.

The sneaking glances made Devrim laugh more. A quiet, but earnest sound that eased his posture. He'd been so nervous for what felt like nothing now. Of course they'd get along. She was half of his favorite person and raised by her too. A thought that made him want to tell Savannah that she'd done a good job, but his attention would remain solely on Serra for as long as the night allowed.

"I live out in the woods and love to watch the wolves run. They're fast! Although not as fast as vampires, who are impervious to garlic despite the popular legend." The supernatural had become of special interest to Devrim since moving to town. They were a marvel to a man who had known nothing beyond the human world before. "Sirens, by my account, are the most powerful though. Especially in water." His eyes widened. At first in momentary awe, but then in fear as he thought he felt Vanessa's eyes on him; his demise in their glimmer.

"Sure it's not, Sweet Tea," Vanessa observed. Her voice cold and calculative as she narrowed her eyes in on him. But, when Serra entered the room, the older siren looked past any annoyance she may have held toward the man, pretending, rather, that he had ceased to exist. Instead, she wheeled her chair closer toward where Serra tentatively sat down as she whispered over to the young girl, "If you want to go to bed, just say the word and we can plan your escape." The comment causing the corner of Serra's lips to tilt up ever so slightly at the thought.

"Do we got any more cookies?" Serra bite down on her bottom lip as she tilted her head back so that she could sneak a glance over to her mom.

"It's late, baby. But," Sav let out a soft sigh as moved to plate a few cookies for the lot of them. "Just this once," She mused as she placed the cookies before her kid as Serra's gaze turned back toward Dev. The fourteen year old let out a small gulp before giving Devrim a small nod as if to say it was alright if he stayed.

Brushing back the hair from Serra's head, Savannah in turn placed a light kiss against the top of Serra's forehead as if to thank her for giving him a chance and not coping an attitude with him like she typically did with her. It was funny really. Serra was typically the loudest one out of the three of them in the house. She was even bolder than Vanessa seemed to be, having no problem telling you exactly what she thought of you, even if it sometimes ended with her reading her mom to filth. But, for the first time in years, Sav actually got to see Serra be shy again. All of those manners she had tried to instill in her seemingly paying off.

"I..." Serra paused, nipping down on her bottom lip as she shot a fleeting glance back Savannah's way before her brown eyed gaze met her father's once more. "I told mamma we ain't leavin'," She said definitively. "I just made a friend with a witch. He levitated me off the ground and everythin' and I ain't forgettin' that shit-"

"Serra!" Sav exclaimed, cupping her hand over her mouth as she tried to muffle a light giggle in shock at the way her daughter had sworn outloud.

" 'Cuse my language," The fourteen year old muttered under her breath, before she snuck another curious peek Devrim's way. If there was one trait she had taken from her mother outside of the accent, it was her blatant curiosity.

[devrim-selvi]

Sheepishly, Devrim shrugged. He didn't know what Serra preferred. Savannah, being a siren, preferred to be near water. Which was a point of tension for a man who had, recently, developed a fear of drowning. It wasn't his fault. He'd just nearly drowned twice in the span of a few months. "I don't." Devrim admitted. "I don't know how to ask. It feels like too much? I'll let Savannah decide." The meeting had gone well, in his mind. It was hard to read teenagers, though. "Good, I think? With Serra. Sav's mom is ...something else."

With a purse of his lips, Devrim considered Ken's question. "Well, she's loyal and a good organizer. She likes to shop, too. I don't know how that translates to the job market, but.." His own path had always felt clear. He didn't know what other lines of work required. "Todd, right." Now he remembered. "That's the guy that sent me.. one of my duplicates?" Confusion was audible in his voice, as he struggled with explaining the madness the magic had made. "into the tank."

"That's how things were established, I didn't make the decision." Nor did he have to follow it, he knew, but the place had a better appeal to him than anything else. Echo Acres, despite the quietness that Devrim spoke on felt too, in a quite literal sense, dirty. "It would make things a little easier if there aren't any other wants." He added on to elaborate but soon switched to ask about the daughter, "Does the kid have any preference? Is she a beach or woods person, do you know?" How that would factor in he didn't have a clue but it could be a point of thought, couldn't it? Answer was not his to figure out. "How was it meeting her?"

He huffed a low laugh, "And what exactly are Dilan's talents or areas of experience? Asides screaming, I can't think of anything." Mildly confused, Ken darted gaze to Leyla to still see Todd around her, "Brad? No, his name is Todd." He picked up on a little bit more of their conversation, but not understanding the context, attention went back to Devrim, "One of Leyla's friends."

[devrim-selvi]

The lantern caused Devrim to squint. His eyes avoided the light, as he shrugged at the questions. "I don't know.." Intentionally vague, he unhelpfully added. "A noise? A rustling, maybe?" It wouldn't be he who gave away the raccoon. "What raccoon? Yeah, I don't know if it was a raccoon. Now that I think about it. Maybe it was a big squirrel?" The conversation continued, as Devrim lead them across the yard to the trashcans. "A wolf?" He wondered if they'd be on Ignacio or the raccoon's side. "I guess you could ask? Pick a friendly one, though."

"A noise? What kind of a noise?" Ignacio lifted up his lantern, a modern electric one that was serviceable if somewhat outdated, to illuminate both their faces. He furrowed his brow; there were, after all, still intruders roaming these woods. His gaze drifted to tree line, as though he were searching for something there. But seeing nothing and turning back, the pixie raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. A particular difference between 'the' and 'a,' hm? Are you acquainted with this singular racoon?" Sighing, Ignacio gave a nod. "That is fair. They do tend to scavenge, do they not? I do not fault them for their natures. All creatures must do what they are called to do. But the bees have enough troubles. Do you think perhaps I could convince a wolf to...walk about my property? Their presence may scare off wandering creatures." He sighed. "Where are the trashcans?"

[devrim-selvi]

Any potential awkwardness was lost on him. Socially inept, more often than he'd admit, Devrim didn't realize the complications of inviting someone he'd gone out with to join him in the coffee shop. Of all the things on his mind, their date hadn't been at the forefront. Though not for a lack of interest, at the time, rather the necessity of making certain things a priority. Namely, the realization that he was a father. It wasn't news he thought he could share over text, especially not with a guy he was only just getting to know. Such a thing felt too heavy, so he'd opted for silence.

"Not for myself." Maybe that part had been obvious, but he didn't know. "I own a place in Echo Acres." He paused a moment, considering how to say what he wanted to share. "I found out I have a daughter. It's for her." It came out easier than Devrim had expected, but then he'd found Will easy to talk to since the start. "She's occupied most of my attention as of late. I hope you can understand."

Wll had just finished his shift at the fire station and was grabbing a midafternoon coffee--at the exact time, it seemed, that everyone in town had the very same idea. Through the chaos of the cafe, a familiar voice caught his attention, and though it set off alarm bells in the back of his mind, Will forced a smile of gratitude and took the offered chair. He hadn't had a proper conversation with Devrim since their "date" in October where they'd had a few beers, shared a kiss or two, and planned to meet up again--only for Devrim to stop texting entirely. Every time he'd seen him at the gym since had been awkward to say the least.

"Thank you." He took a sip of his coffee. Then, deciding there was no point pretending he hadn't (accidentally) seen what was on the computer screen, added, "You house hunting? That's uh--a big step. I mean, good for you. That's great."

[devrim-selvi]

"Great." A sarcastic remark made without a smile. "We shouldn't have gone off the trails." His head shook as he looked around. "That rock?" Devrim pointed like he was unsure. "Have we?" At this point, everything was starting to look the same. An endless expanse of woods in every direction. Though he knew that wasn't true. "I think we came from that way." He pointed again in the direction they'd come walking from. "Maybe if we go backwards we'll get back on the trail?" It was as good idea as any. Short of climbing a tree to see what could be seen from a different vantage point. "Let me know if you hear anything, okay? People or cars..."

She loved living in Echo Acres, she loved the solitude of it. She could imagine the woods feeling imposing to other people, endless green with nothing else in sight - but that was what she liked, the feeling of being utterly alone. Still, living in the woods didn't mean she was the outdoorsy type. She liked laying next to the ponds and streams, liked laying in the sun in the clearing - but hiking was not her idea of a good time. But she had still come when Dev asked - it felt like he needed it. "We're definitely lost." She said, flashing him a smile. "We've passed that rock four times, I've nearly tripped over it each time." She admitted. "We'll figure it out though, lets try going down there-" she pointed at a path they hadn't tried yet "do you have any idea where we're going? Because I do not."

[devrim-selvi]

"Not intentionally." A tight lipped reassurance to his least favorite Siren in Lunar Cove. The latter of whose commentary he wasn't afforded an opportunity to respond to before Serra entered the room. It wasn't the sort of parenting advice he was looking to take, but suddenly that didn't matter. Nothing did aside from her. His mini in so many ways he wondered what about her was at all Savannah. It was a moment of immense joy and grief to finally see what he'd lived fourteen years without. Not even the rest of his life after would be enough to make up for what he'd missed, but Devrim just tried to focus on getting started.

"Hi." It wasn't something he could've prepared for. No amount of thought before today, no conversation, could've made him ready. Devrim didn't know what he was doing, but that didn't matter. He'd figure it out, somehow, someway, because this was important. Maybe the most important thing he'd ever do. "You can call me Dev." It wasn't dad, though neither of them were ready for that. "Is it okay with you if I stay for tea, too?" In the moment he recalled what Leyla had said. That he was everything to Serra, which was part of the problem. He tried his best to make her everything comfortable.

In the first break from Serra since she'd walked into the room, Devrim's attention briefly turned to Savannah. There was a measure of emotion in his eyes, as he looked upon her face, that he didn't know how to articulate. Affection, frustration, admiration, and grief. . Complex feelings he'd, later, unpick in private. There was no time for that now. Instead, he offered her a soft but reassuring flash of a grin. He hoped it encouraged her that this was the right choice. Devrim thought he belonged in Serra's life. "How are you liking Lunar Cove?" He spoke casually, and invited Savannah to also answer the question with a little tip of his head. "I haven't lived here long myself. A couple years, now. I had to get used to it."

Sav narrowed her gaze over at Dev, as if searching his gaze in an attempt to discern what it is he truly wanted. He didn't seem all too sure he wanted ice tea, but she also had a feeling that if she asked again, he'd only double down harder. So, instead, she merely gave him a slow nod, moving to pour herself and him a cup. "Here you are, hun," She said, leaning over where he sat to place the drink down for him only to lean in and whisper against his inner ear, "Though, if not to your taste, just shoot me look, okay? And I'll get you somethin' else. I promise," She assured him as she gave his shoulder another small squeeze. Placing her own glass down at the empty spot at the table, before she excused herself to go check on Serra.

It was only when they were left alone, that Vanessa told him forthright, "You seem to make a habit of lying to sirens, now don't you," She noted. Her gaze dipped down to the sweet tea that sat before him before her piercing look seared back through him. "Serra is happy here. How about you focus on working on your first impressions before you speak again on behalf of my granddaughter, hm?" She warned. Only for her entire demeanor to quickly shift as Savannah re-entered the room. This time with a hesitant and still groggy Serra in toe.

"Here baby. I fixed you some sweet tea," She told Serra as she motioned to the empty seat with the glass she had poured for herself. "Anyone want any thang else while I'm up? And oh, uh, Serra, this is Devrim and Devrim, Serra," She said, offering Serra a reassuring look as she moved over to the fridge, trying to calm her own fingers from shaking from nerves.

While, Serra slumped against the door frame, not yet making a move toward the seat as she quietly stood there, eyeing the strange man in the kitchen up and down for a prolonged beat before she said, "Hi." Her gaze quickly darted away from him as she moved toward the seat her mom had pointed out, slumping her way into it as she slide the cup closer to her. An action that brought a sliver of amusement to Vaness'a face as Serra, in turn, kept her eyes fixated on the glass in front of her. Hyperfixating on practically anything else for a moment, before she finally snuck the man who was apparently her biological father another quick peak.

[devrim-selvi]

A hum of understanding was uttered as Frankie held up her arm. Devrim hadn't been aware she'd been hurt and felt bad he never sent condolences. An act that wasn't typical of him, until after his own incident on Halloween. "Oh, man. I didn't realize.." He sighed before hesitantly asking. "What happened?" He'd managed to escape the last town function without any physical harm, but not everyone had been so lucky. "More importantly?" Devrim shook his head. "Hardly, but I've been alright. Managing. You know? It's a weird time and place for us all, I think."

Frankie chuckled almost immediately. "Typically, yes." She held up her arm. "But for now I'm benched entirely. Stitches come out in a few more days, though." She narrowed her eyes at him, more playful than anything. "More importantly, how are you?"

[devrim-selvi]

With a sigh of relief, his neighbor came into view. Before Devrim could ask what he was doing in his yard the pixie explained, and he nodded. An expression that might not have been particularly visible in the dark. "Ah, no worries. I was just investigating a noise." He listed to Ignacio explain he was on a hunt for what sounded like the noise he'd heard. "You mean the raccoon?" Devrim didn't particularly have a problem with the wild life. It was, part of, why he'd moved out to the woods. "Yeah, haven't seen him! Maybe let's look over by the trashcans?" A suggestion that would take them to the other side of the yard, and away from the raccoon.

Iridescent wings caught a multitude of metallic colors from his lantern as Ignacio alighted gently onto the ground. He brushed off his pants, giving a low huff as he spun in a half-circle to try to get his bearings in the dark. Devrim's voice actually startled him as he emerged from the brush, putting a hand up in mock arrest. "I am sorry. I flew too far," he explained, his wings still fluttering behind him for a few moments as he drew them once more into his back. "I am on the hunt for a honeycomb thief. Le raton laveur. Not to harm him, of course. He knows no better and does only what he must to survive, but he cannot stay here and bother my bees. They finish their winter next month. It is a delicate time." He furrowed his brow. "I have not decided yet what to do when I find him. Repellants may harm flowers.

[devrim-selvi]

It would've been perfect, watching Savannah move around the kitchen like she could've done it blindfolded, had Vanessa not been there. Devrim swore he could feel the older siren's eyes burning into him. Daggers that interrupted the daydream he was trying to have about the summer he was nineteen, and the beautiful blonde girl who had charmed her way into his heart with more than just her incredible food.

"Huh?" He asked, sort of confused when Savannah asked him about his tea. In truth, he preferred it black. It wasn't because he was a dentist, he'd say, but he didn't care much for sweets. Savannah's pies sort of the exception. Yet, the judgement in her voice told him he was supposed to pick a different answer. "That sounds good?" He nodded, like he was trying to convince them both. "I'll have whatever you're having?" That had to be the right answer, Devrim thought.

As if the glaring wasn't enough she spoke. Vanessa's disdain for Devrim evident to him in her voice. It nearly made him crack a smile. Not in humor but in horror. A panicked expression that acknowledged he was in danger. Something that wasn't hard to encounter in this town, but it was different still when it came from your only daughter's grandmother. "Yeah, all the time pretty much." He answered Vanessa's question, even though it hadn't been directed at him, with a nod.

Before he protested Vanessa's accusation that he was plotting to steal Savannah and Serra away, Devrim's head began to shake. "No, no. Absolutely not." He lied through his teeth. "This is a lovely home you have, here, truly..." Then he was saved by the most angelic sound he'd ever heard. A sleepy, girl's voice wandered in from the couch, and his heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, Devrim couldn't feel his face, or even register that Savannah had left the room until he realized he was alone; with Vanessa.

For a split second he wondered if she'd be so bold as she fling him into the sea with Savannah and Serra in the next room, then decided to take his chances when he said. "A lovely home, indeed, however..." He cleared his throat nervously. "I think we can all agree? It's whatever is best for Serra."

Savannah had been moving about the kitchen with the ease of someone who knew every inch of it by heart, her hands working without thought as she gathered cups. While, Serra and her hadn't been staying with Vanessa for too long, Sav had always been someone quick to learn her way around a kitchen. But at Devrim’s request, she stilled just enough for her brow to curve upward, lips parting slightly like he’d just spoken in a language she didn’t quite recognize.

Glancing back at him with a confused look across her face, Sav braced her hand against the counter. While the other hand found its way to her hip as she said, "You sure 'bout that, darlin'? You want your tea straight and black with no ice and no sugar?" She blinked over at him as she double questioned it. "Cause I keep a fresh pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge at all times, if you want some, but your call," She offered up, trying to hide her momentary judgement at the way he wanted to take his tea as she moved to fix Vanessa her cup.

Vanessa gaze, all the while continued to stay fixated on Devrim's, not even flinching as the cup of tea was sat down before her. Her head tilted slightly, her smirk razor-thin as she said, "Such a glowing review. We'll be sure to add it to the brochure." Before she glanced back over her shoulder to where Savannah was as she outwardly asked in regards to the human sat before her, "Does he always speak without saying much of anything?" eliciting a 'please' from Savannah's lips as her wide eyes locked on with Vanessa's in a desperate attempt to ask her to play nice.

Vanessa on the other hand, swiveled her chair back toward him. Her piercing blue eyes were the spitting resemblance of Savannah's though Vanessa's were filled with a stark sharpness to them that could cut through glass as she rolled her eyes over, "No. I had it imported plank by plank. Let me guess. You're calculating how fast you can drag my daughter and grand daughter out of here. Aren't you? It's a shame really. Places like these build character or at least weed out those who don't have any."

Well, fuck, Sav nearly knocked over a glance, ready to jump in again to defend Devrim, but before she could, a small and groggy voice broke through the quiet up of the kitchen. "Mama? You back?" Serra's call was thick with sleep and muffled by the blanket she'd tucked herself into from where she laid on the couch. Savannah’s head lifted instantly, her expression softening as she turned toward the living room. “Yeah, baby,” she called back gently, already moving. But just before she left, she paused beside Devrim, her hand finding his shoulder in a light, reassuring squeeze. “I’ll be right back,” she murmured, her voice dipped in the kind of warmth that could settle a storm. "Just wanna let her know you're here is all." And then, just like that, she was gone, her steps quiet as she slipped away to tend to their little girl, leaving him with Vanessa for at least the next few minutes.

[devrim-selvi]

closed | @riotavarez

It wasn't like Devrim had moved into the woods to stay indoors. He enjoyed nature, especially in times of discourse in his life. It was peaceful and allowed him to clear his mind. After two years in town, he thought he knew his way around, but as they passed the same tree for what he was sure was the third time he asked his hiking partner, "We're not lost are we?"