halideyener

[halideyener]

CLOSED STARTER FOR BENJI SCOTT. ( @benji-scott​​ ) late afternoon time outside of below zero

          “In light of the horrible taste left in my mouth by that lavender ice cream I just had to try, I’m curious ---” Taste buds were funny, as much as she had heard people raving about the cold treat she’d just tried to finish off, Halide couldn’t stand it. Which was saying a lot given the fact of ice cream being her absolute favorite treat and she’d also made a career out of trying new foods. The brunette was someone that could eat a scoop every day and not get tired of it. In fact, there were months where that did happen --- there was so little time and so many flavors out there to try. 

          The best investment Hali had made to date was her own ice cream maker. With interest, the personal chef leaned forward. Curiosity had gotten the best of her many times, especially in relation to food and a diner’s experience. The amount of times Hali had walked the dining floor to personally meet and speak with some of the Michelin starred restaurant back in New York? She’d lost count. Continuing --- “what’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten? Because that ice cream just tasted like dried, pressed flowers.”

[halideyener]

CLOSED STARTER FOR NATHAN CRANE. ( @nathanccrane​ ) late afternoon/evening time outside of lunch box

          On a mission to grab a bite to eat, the brunette was stalled on making it into the sandwich shop when her phone rang with a call she’d decided she couldn’t miss. For nearly twenty minutes she’d paced around the area as she talked over an idea for an appearance on a show with the Food Network. Hali had a loose claim to fame in coming third on Hell’s Kitchen, and since then going viral and becoming moderately famous on Instagram and TikTok with her recipes, tutorials, and reviews. When the call had ended and she was unable to restrain the curving of her lips, a bit excited at the upcoming prospect, she slid her phone into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette from the pack she’d fished out in the process. 

          “Ah fuck.” One click, two click, and a third click. The brunette’s zippo wouldn’t ignite. First she shook it, not like that would actually help, and then tried it again. “Just my luck.” The words were muttered as she caught sight of the male, he didn’t appear to be a smoker but he also didn’t appear not to be. “Hey, you have a light by any chance? I’m trying to celebrate and it seems this thing is out of juice.” Holding her lighter up, the once in a while smoker smiled and hoped for the best.

[halideyener]

CLOSED STARTER FOR NALA KASONGO. ( @nalakasongo​ ) late afternoon at old west soap co.

          “Do you think this would make a good gift?” The products in question were in her palms as hazel cast to the woman on her right. Two soaps, different scents, and seemed virtually the same other than that. “My aunt’s going on a trip and I thought it’d be nice to give her something --- a little taste of home.” Although Providence Peak wasn’t where she was from, it was where she had relocated to and resided for years and Hali had begun to see in her pair of months she’d been here so far what the appeal was. It was beautiful and eclectic.

          “Sorry, I don’t really mean to be one of those shoppers, I’m having a moment of indecision.” It wasn’t common for the brunette, as a chef she was accustomed to making split second decisions under insurmountable pressure. Family was an odd thing for her though; Hali didn’t know how to act or treat the relationships given that she’d never felt a close bond. “And this is my first time in a shop like this. Have you shopped here before?”

[halideyener]

CLOSED STARTER FOR VERDA DURMAZ. ( @verdadurmaz​​ )  late afternoon at the sweet spot

          “A Turkish bakery.” In surprise and a bit of astonishment, Hali couldn’t refrain from speaking aloud upon entering the shop. “This town is full of surprises.” The last place she’d ever expect to experience a taste of home was in this mountain city in the middle of the United States. Yet there she was approaching the display and peering in to find baklava, sutlu nuriye, lokma, turkish delights, and un kurabiyesi. Hazel lifted from the desserts to view the tall, high cheekboned brunette on the other side of the counter. The visit wasn’t entirely innocent, Hali had been around town for the bakery’s opening but hadn’t visited until now. In the past couple of months since finding herself in Providence Peak she’d reunited with an undeniable connection from her stint on Hell’s Kitchen five years prior, but it hadn’t been lost on the brunette that a Verda was in town. The name that had hit her ear during some late night bonding off camera with Emeline. Could she be blamed for her curiosity? Especially since this couldn’t have been a coincidence, Emmy and Verda in the same city.

          Who knew if this woman would recognize her, if this Verda was in her shop today. Given that Hali wasn’t sure of what the ex looked like she felt she was walking in a little blind, but she couldn’t resist wanting to get eyes on her. “Congrats on your opening, I’ve seen that this is a new spot. Is the owner in?” It seemed as though it was a busy shop in town as well from what she’d heard. That filled her with a little pride to see something representing her home and culture doing well. “And do you have tulumba tatlısı by any chance?”

[halideyener]

— THE STATS —

NAME: halide ‘hali’ yener

AGE: 31

GENDER/PRONOUNS: cis female ; she/her

ORIGINALLY FROM: bursa, turkey

RESIDENTIAL AREA: claret park

OCCUPATION: personal chef & food blogger

SEXUALITY: bisexual

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single pringle

LENGTH OF TIME IN PROVIDENCE PEAK: a couple of months

— THE DETAILS —

trigger warnings/content warnings: child abandonment, car accident, infant death

Up until the little Yener girl was six years of age, she lived a life of running around the neighborhood streets of her cozy Bursa home. A time when she was blissfully unaware of the way her young life was falling apart and that she’d soon end up shipped off to relatives she’d never met in some remote coastal town in Northern California. Her dad had run out, unable to take the pressures of supporting a family and her mother barely held it together after that. She had never really been the strong and independent type anyway, and gradually over that year Halide’s mother slipped away. Arrangements were made with her parents to take Halide for the summer so that she could get herself together and be a better mother, only... that was the last time Halide ever saw her. Aside from a letter or postcard, maybe the occasional phone call, Halide’s mom went off into the world and never came back for her daughter. Eventually she gave up waiting, eventually she stopped running off to the ferry dock to wait and see if her mom was on board.

Lively and adventurous, Hali was a bit much for a pair of retired seniors to handle. Which meant that she got away with a lot more than she ever should have since they couldn’t keep up and eventually stopped trying to as well. They believed they gave her a good home and good foundation, that she was the type that needed to learn by trial and error. For the most part that worked for Hali but what she really wanted was someone to care and force boundaries on her. No one ever really worried where she’d get off to or who she was with like her friend’s parents did and it created a deep pool of longing within the young brunette. When she went to school and took care of the work in her classes, Hali did well but she had the suspicion that her grandparents didn’t care much. That maybe they didn’t really expect her to amount to much. So for a while she set out to prove them wrong, despite her truancy issues, and damn near became valedictorian of her graduating class. But before that could happen, before she’d reach high school, she was sent to Northern California to live with an aunt and uncle she’d never once met. The reason was that everyone thought she’d have more opportunities there. Hali had her pick of colleges by the time of graduation and nearly went back to Bursa, she’d always felt her roots calling her but she never told anyone the reason why she ultimately stayed and went to the local university.

It wasn’t an endeavor that was going to end well for her and it wasn’t for her lack of brain power or trying, either. Life often seemed to have a way of turning upside down on Hali and between not quite making it to class and partying a little too much, things began to fall apart. School became less important than having a good time, whatever it was, her adventurous and spontaneous spirit couldn’t really be contained. There was the drinking, the substances that didn’t belong in her body, and eventually falling in love and winding up pregnant. That wasn’t what ruined her college career, it was her baby’s father going overseas while she was pregnant and subsequently leaving her on her lonesome. Alone is how she faced every tragedy, alone was how she faced the worst — a car accident that forced her into premature labor and losing her baby only 45 minutes into her precious life. The loss caused Hali to sink into a deep depression where she cut off everything and everyone in her life, including ending her relationship with her boyfriend while he was overseas. Never speaking to him again after that. While she didn’t blame him, that was all on her, she couldn’t forgive herself nor could she face him.

After some time, Halide picked herself up and knew she needed to carry on and survive somehow. What she decided to do was enroll in culinary school, which ended up being her calling. Not only had her mother been known for her savory dishes, her grandmother had also taught her everything she knew in the kitchen. It was the only real bonding experience she’d had with a family member and naturally became something unforgettable. Despite her wild youth, she had the tenacity to earn and obtain something if she truly wanted it, and what Halide wanted was to be a top chef. Following culinary school, she worked at a top restaurant in Los Angeles, then traveled around working in various kitchens until an opportunity came knocking. Hell’s Kitchen. As a child, Halide was a charismatic girl. Everyone would look at her with a gleam in their eyes and point, a smile prominent on their lips, and tell her mother or grandparents that she was definitely going somewhere in life where she could shine. The majority from believed they’d be seeing little Halide on a screen some day, given that in just about everything she did he was theatrical and animated.

The show ended up being a tough experience. It was a grueling schedule and the pressure was the most intense she’d ever felt in her life. What made it all a little easier was the connection Halide had made with another contestant. Flirty looks in the kitchen and banter that pulled the screen’s attention was one thing, it was another when the cameras took in Halide and Emeline bonding in the house. For the first time it had seemed to her that she’d found someone that understood her in ways that no one else quite could, they’d each been abandoned by their parents, and suddenly their connection had become much more raw and real but was cast for the whole world to see. Even though the woman was in serious relationships outside of the show, it seemed to be a pull that Hali couldn’t resist. Finding likeminded and similar passioned connections had been rare for her, especially when it came to the bas understanding of what abandonment felt like. The connection was like a light in the dark, something she hadn’t been looking for but did nothing to stop its progression despite knowing that Emeline wasn’t available. All in all it was a very bad look on tv.

It was a success for Halide though, she’d made it into the final three of the competition on Hell’s Kitchen and pretty much had a ticket to work anywhere. Due to an undeniable offer, she decided on New York where Hali became head chef for three years at a Michelin starred restaurant. It was bad timing, with how busy and involved she was in her career, Hali still entered into a serious relationship. It was one that couldn’t stand the tests of time as talk of children came up between her and her partner, since it was a taste of past trauma, she had a difficult time and began to pull away. Memories of what she’d lost little more than a decade prior had resurfaced but also the pains of a childhood where she had nowhere to really claim. It caused her worry that she wouldn’t be able to parent well due to never really having a good example. She pulled away from working at the restaurant and began working as a personal chef and food blogger. With the craze of social media, her Instagram Reels and TikToks took off showcasing her recipes, reviews, and lessons. It was an endeavor she thought would grant her more freedom but turned out to be just as much work as a professional kitchen. In moving to Providence Peak due to her family’s relocation to the area, Halide had no idea what was in store or what she’d find there.

[halideyener]

My mouth became a churchyard. I carved gravestones for everything I should have said / but did not dare to.

Elisabeth Hewer, extract from upcoming poem “Village Green” 

[halideyener]

Fahriye Evcen for Koton (2016-2017) Campaign Ads.