islasayala

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Reyan

"True, but I've gotten into the habit of teasing people here and there." Her eyes carefully studied his frame, and how the fabric of that shirt hugged his body. "Me? I don't think I've ever been called that, but I've been good for the most part. Just a teacher in the big city, not really sure what she's doing out most nights. But you know when you don't expect to see anyone you see literally everybody." she laughed. "Still, it's very nice to see you, and I have to say yours is definitely a face I have missed."

"You should know by now that is how I talk, Isla." Reyan looked to the woman beside him before taking a sip of his whiskey. He had met her a few times through Devran, but he couldn't place the last time he had seen her. Maybe it was before the move to Italy, but it didn't matter. He smiled and laughed with a shake of his head. "You are too kind. I didn't expect to run into anyone while I was out. How have you been?"

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Dom

"Don't think badly of me but I totally zoned out when they were playing," Isla admitted with a sheepish grin, a little embarrassed that she had entirely disassociated during the entire performance. "My mind has just been entirely elsewhere as of recent, so I don't even know why I'm out and about."

FEATURING    ›     dominic & isla ( @islasayala ) LOCATED AT    ›     high note

the latest band upon the stage had reached their finale. amid the claps from the crowd. soft, gentle. as if each of them understood the atmosphere that was meant to be upheld. though dominic had found his own hand reaching for the drink before him. " i think i much preferred the band from the previous night . " he stated with an ease, as he settled into his seat. his gaze not quite leaving the stage. anticipating that another would soon come to take their place .

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Hayes

Isla might've been a few champagne flutes in at this point of the night, wandering around and greeting the familiar faces of the city. It was all fine and dandy until she felt a body almost land on her own, and it not being Tae-Oh was a definite no. Still, she smiled as it had only been an accident. "Yeah, I'm fine, no harm no foul as they say. Being small does have a lot of draw backs even in heels."

closed started | @islasayala

Hayes, too busy searching for his date in the crowd instead of looking where he was going, tripped over someoone's foot and had to steady himself to stop him crashing into somebody. Hayes's eyes settled on the person he'd just almost landed on top of with a small smile. "Hey... you good? That was a close one but at least my cat like reflexes saved us."

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Reyan

"Is that anyway to talk to an old friend, Reyan." Isla said as she came up beside him, a man she had met many times before thanks to Devran, a work colleague he had mentioned but she never quite understood what exactly it was that they did for work. "Just saw a familiar face and wanted to say hi, and that even after all the years you're just like some fine wine, much better with age."

Location: a quiet bar Status: open @sinnerssquarestart

Reyan needed a moment to think away from the hotel. As much as he knew the Sahins would try to be helpful, he wanted to make it clear he could provide for him and his wife. The movers would arrive soon and what possessions they had would be boxed up and taken to the new house. But before all that chaos occurred, he wanted a drink. He sipped his whiskey and listened to the soft music as he enjoyed his solitude until he realized someone was lingering nearby. "Is there a reason you are here?"

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Fran

"I made it actually, I took a few sewing lessons and studied some designs and made it. I'm a teacher, so I'm learning to teach myself different crafts that I can pass on to the parents of the kids I teach. My new project is to make each of them a beanie from a little thing I asked them to color." Isla said finding herself rambling as she was a little too excited to tell anyone about the kids she was teaching. "Sorry, I tend to get a little ahead of myself. "I can make one for you if you'd like, I'd just need your measurements and if you have any preference in colors."

closed starter @islasayala // Downtown Boutique

Retail therapy was essential during a crisis—especially when the weather turned cold, and your wardrobe was woefully out of season. Normally, Francesca prided herself on staying ahead of the fashion curve, but the whirlwind of the holidays and her own personal chaos had left her closet uninspired. Sure, online shopping was convenient, but nothing compared to the thrill of trying things on in person. As she browsed the racks, her eyes landed on a woman wearing the most stunning sweater she’d seen in ages. "Oh my gosh, that top is incredible," she gushed, stepping closer, perhaps a touch too eagerly. "Where did you find it? I need one immediately."

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ hunter

"Just for little old me? Hunter, we are never beating the allegations," She remarked with a laugh as she rolled her eyes. Their friendship was one where she felt she could truly be herself and he'd never judge her for it. Hunter was someone who would always feel like home to her. "You can't be saying those things, you know how red I get," Isla protested as her face went 50 shades of red. "Sort of not really, more like I just had my first one night stand so your girl is no longer a virgin. Can't say I didn't enjoy it cause now...I have to admit it's all I've been thinking about. I feel like a guy, I swear." she laughed. "I shouldn't be surprised you truly are just hot to go at all times, but let's not let you get a big head."

"I try, just for you." Hunter smiled back at her. It was too easy to be in a good mood around someone like Isla, and he was actually willing to admit that he treasured their friendship so much. It was rare of him to trust someone like he trusted Isla, after all. "You." He teased her back playfully. "You look like you've met someone though. Who was that smile for? Tell everything." It would've been sarcastic if he wasn't genuinely curious. After ordering the food for the two of them, he focused back on the woman. "Of course I do. You're saying that as if it's a surprise."

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Jackson

Isla smiled at the pet name, wanting nothing more than feel every inch of him inside her. Her breath was stifled in her throat, trying to claw it's way out as his fingers felt her wetness. There wasn't even time to reply as she found herself staring up at him, her legs spread and back arched. With two fingers placed in her mouth, slick with spit she let the moment linger as she played with herself. Her fingers at her core, sliding in and out as her juices began to sprinkle the bed sheets. Her eyes begged for him as she kept her fingers on her clit, she needed him, she watched him undress and ached for him in a way she could never describe. "Please...I need it," she begged.

Jackson's face smiled. "You're such a good girl, " he said, leaned down, and left the ghost of a kiss as he pushed his hand into her pants, meeting her slick folds. "You're wet for me." He said as he left space between their lips, never fully going in. And with no warning he was turning her and pushing her onto the bed and pulling her pants down her legs. She was facedown ass up now, "On all fours. Let me see you play with that pretty pussy which I get undressed."

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Jackson

Isla didn't respond, at least not immediately. Her mind wavered as she felt as nervous as ever, but even then there was conviction in her every movement. As she closed the space between them, her hand feeling the tenderness of his skin, and the hard muscle at her digits. "I never once asked you to be gentle with me," she mused eyes meeting his. "Just make sure you use every inch of me, otherwise I'd call this sorely disappointing."

Location: Isla's place Status: Closed @islasayala

Jackson closed the space between them as he pulled off his tie and let it drop to the floor. "You need to be sure." He said as he started working the buttons on his shirt. That too fell to the floor. "I won't go easy. I won't be gentle." He said as he now stood in front of her.

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ hunter

"You're always the charmer, Hunter." Isla grinned shaking her head at her friend who seemed a lot more chipper than the norm. "Did something happen cause you seem very...enthused today. Meet anyone that has blown your socks off?" she teased lightly, her mind racing back towards Devran, and she found herself smiling to herself at the thought of him. "I'll just have my usual order, steak and fries and nice large diet coke. You look great, but you always do."

with: @islasayala where: one of the many diners

"Look at you! Looking wonderful as always." Hunter was in an especially great mood lately, and the recent events were only making it better. Granted, the holidays always brought out the worst in him, but even that wasn't going to put him off. He even opted to continue on with the unofficial, albeit long standing tradition of showing up at the same diner, all to have a nice long conversation with Isla. "Pick whatever, it's all on me today."

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Griffin

"A dirty martini," Isla mentioned without skipping a beat. She wasn't about to miss out on a free drink and very nice company. "Nobody important really, but the name's Isla," she said as she raised her brow at him. "I feel like I've seen you before, but I don't remember when or where?" she said, she was confused, she could've sworn she spoke to a man with similar features to him.

Location: The Bar Status: Closed @islasayala

"Well hello there," Griffin said as he came up the bar and rested on the top, next to the women. "What are you drinking? It's on me." He said with a smile as he waved over to the bartender. "I'll take a whiskey neat and whatever the pretty lady wants." He said before turning to her. "I'm Griffin Gallo and who might you be?"

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Reyan

Isla was perusing a few books, some for herself, and others for the kids in her classroom. She'd always find ways to incorporate more activities and there were always new stories to be told, new ways for the young ones to learn. "No, I apologize, I'm sorry, but I hope you don't mind me saying, your cologne smells really nice. My nose sort of just gravitated towards it and I know that's totally weird to say but um...sorry, I'll be out of your hair."

Location: Blissful Bindings Status: Closed (@islasayala)

Reyan wasn't looking for anything specific. He could use a few books for his office. He liked to have one or two on the shelf for conversation. His hand moved along the shelf and he reached for one before stopping. "You'll have to excuse me." He smiled at the woman beside him as he pulled his hand back out of her way.

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Devran

With each passing second all she could see was all the what ifs had their story not ended. They'd be somewhere happily married, maybe even having a few pets, kids, adopted in some shape or form, maybe surrogacy. A life she had only dreamed about with him, the man she had truly always loved. Even with her ex her eyes always veered to Devran, a silent prayer that he'd come and save her, that he'd just admit that it was them who should be together. None of that would ever come to pass, she was nothing more than a memory to him now, but by god she couldn't look away. Even now staring up at him all she wanted to do was kiss him, ask him to stay just a little bit longer, feel his warmth, his touch. Don't let me go again. She almost said. The scars of her past were ugly and raw, and he could mend them.

"I wasn't?" she asked, her voice breaking with doubt. No matter how much time had passed between them she was still that girl, all too green and naive, forced to be someone's wife, and then freed...then abandoned by the only man she ever truly loved. "You don't need to apologize, I made peace with it. I know I just wasn't the girl of your dreams and...that's okay," It was a hard pill to swallow, saying those words out loud. The taste of venom lingering on her taste buds as she despised what she said, the sheer life of saying she was fine, okay with it. "You were my everything...Even now, you still are." There was no way around it, after all this years, she was still entirely his, and maybe she always would be.

Her words cut deeper than he anticipated, each one a slow, burning ache that lodged itself in his chest. He saw it in her eyes—the raw, lingering emotion she still carried for him, the longing that hadn’t quite faded. It shattered him in a way he wasn’t prepared for, and when she finally admitted it, her voice barely above a whisper—"You do too"—he had to force himself not to reach for her. Her words about the past—about the airport, the betrayal—were like knives, each one piercing his resolve. But he didn’t look away. He couldn’t. He knew exactly what he was, knew the damage he’d caused. But when she said she didn’t blame him, it was like she’d gutted him all over again. The way she saw herself—as nothing more than a fleeting chapter in someone else’s story—struck him harder than anything. What kind of man wants his ex-best friend's sloppy seconds? He had. And that truth, raw and ugly, settled like lead in his stomach. But it wasn’t just that. He’d let her go. He had walked away. And she’d been left, broken, with nothing but scars to show for it.

Then her hand, tentative and warm, brushed against his cheek. He couldn’t stop himself. His eyes fluttered closed, leaning into the touch, feeling the familiar, aching comfort of it. It was the touch of someone he’d lost, of a home he could never return to. The reality was too sharp, too painful, but still, he couldn’t resist it. “You were never just part of the journey, Isla,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion, barely a whisper. The words were raw, unfiltered, the kind of confession he’d never had the courage to make—until now. His gaze met hers, dark and heavy with regret, but there was something more in those eyes—something that hadn’t quite disappeared, something that never would. “I’m sorry, for everything. For all of it.” The words came out hoarse, as though they’d been trapped for too long. His gaze dropped to her hand, still resting on his face, his jaw tightening under her touch. “You deserved more than I ever gave you. You always did.” He took a slow breath, his gaze softening, and for the first time in a long while, he let himself feel the weight of what they had been—and what they never got to be.

[islasayala]

Location: Coffee joint that's gross because coffee is gross so why are they both there?

An iced vanilla latte, an easy enough order to memorize as it had been her go to for about six months now. There was something so deliciously addictive about the drink that just kept her coming back for more. As she waited to be called up for the order, she found it odd that another woman was right there with her at the counter reaching for the same order. "Um, did you also order an iced vanilla latte?" @aylaxbinici

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Devran

Seeing him standing there stung, knowing that he was still in the city and somehow fate had kept them apart. She'd imagined he ran away, fled to some foreign country and found himself living a much better life, one without her, one where he didn't have to keep promises to a girl with rose colored glasses. Isla could see the way he stifled his words, the way his body strained together, keeping him taut, poised, stoic, an emotionless pawn meant to act not think. It was daunting, realizing just how much she still yearned for him, begged for his touched, ached to just have him near again. To fall asleep on his chest, the pitter patter of his heartbeat easing her worried as it rhythmically drummed in his chest. "You do too," she admitted, trying for a smile that didn't quite reach her features. Looking up at him she could see where the lines of time had begun to make their mark, but it didn't dull his beauty. She could stare at him all day, and map out every little detail on his face, fall in love all over again with the stories their bodies could tell. "You don't owe me an explanation Devrin. Really, I'm okay." There was a little shrug to her shoulders, aiming for the facade of indifference but her posture, her demeanor, her fragility in this circumstance was all too telling. "I've come to terms with the reality of my life a long time ago. Being cheated on and left at the altar should've been the first clue. The airport...I don't blame you. What kind of guy would wants his ex best friend's sloppy seconds, that he didn't even want in the first place?" The words felt like venom in her mouth, but that was her truth wasn't it?

"I'm not the girl boys fall in love with, just the girl who is meant to be part of the journey, but never anybody's destination." Isla mused, her hand finding its way onto Devrin's features as she caressed his cheek. His scruff delightfully rough against her palm. "You look as beautiful as the day I lost you."

Devran noticed the way her gaze flickered, the faint falter in her steps, the vulnerability she couldn’t hide. It struck him harder than he thought it would, even though he knew this moment was inevitable. He hadn’t expected to see her at all, much less walking toward him like this, with that smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was doing her best to hold it together, but he knew her too well. “It’s good to see you,” he said, his voice coming out a little rougher than he intended. This wasn’t how he imagined their reunion. Devran Sahin was never at a loss for words, but right now, he couldn’t find any. “You look amazing,” he added, almost absently. She always did. Time hadn’t changed that, only made her more striking. The years hadn’t dulled the memory of her, hadn’t erased the ache of what he had lost. He swallowed, fighting to keep his composure as his eyes locked with hers. The storm inside him raged, but he kept it in check, at least for now. “Don’t go,” he said, stepping closer. His voice was low, steady despite the chaos inside him. “I’d like you to stay. I think we have a conversation that’s long overdue.” He could feel the weight of his father’s influence, the shadow of someone still watching, still controlling from behind the scenes. If his father had someone tailing him, Devran was already in trouble. But what did it matter now? He was already deep into this, and he wasn’t about to back away. Not when she was standing here, this close, this fragile, so close to the truth. He was tired of running. It was time to face whatever came next.

[islasayala]

✩ FAVORITE CHARACTER MEME ✩ ↬ scenes: 4.13 “Pictures of You” [6/6]

How is that not good enough? I don't know you should ask my parents, considering they haven't called in a month. A month and a half, actually. Not a single call, or text, or email so what do you suppose that says about me?

[islasayala]

NORMAL PEOPLE (2020) dir. Lenny Abrahamson, Hettie Macdonald

[islasayala]

˙ ˖ ✶ Devran

Love was always found in the most treacherous paths. Isla had believed she was lucky to have found it once so young. A man who promised her the world, built an illusion around the idea of a love so pure that her parents had been overjoyed once that ring was on her finger. Then it all came crashing down, and in the debris of her tragic love, her ex's best friend picked up the pieces. He had been the man that had always reassured her, wiped her tears away when her boyfriend would make her cry. Most nights she had wishes Devrin was the one she had been marrying, and then with the plans to runaway, she thought they just might. Isla was left at the airport for hours, wondering if anything had happened, why once more a man had promised her the world, and failed to deliver. She never cared for all the things that would've come, she just wanted him, to wake up in his arms and find herself as in love with him as the first time her ex had introduced him to her. Twice she had found herself with the reality that she'd never be the girl a guy would fall for, just the girl they could easily forget.

As the laughter from her faded, her skin ran cold. A shiver cascading down her spine as her mouth suddenly fell dry. She hated how much her heart ached at the sight of him, how she almost ran into his arms and forgave him for everything. Hated just how much she thought he looked beautiful, and how much she hated how she wanted to hear his voice, feel his lips once more. After throwing her drink back she walked up to him and smiled. "Hey..." she paused unsure on how to handle this. "You look good," What happened, why didn't you show? Was it all a lie? Was I not enough, will I ever be enough?

"I can go if this is awkward, we don't need to be in the same place. I'm sorry." She said as she turned to leave.

closed starter @islasayala // alibi central bar

Youth was a perilous thing. It lured you into believing in illusions of freedom, of shirking duty in pursuit of fleeting desires like love and affection. But such things held no value when your future was tied to an empire. The man Devran had become would sneer at the boy he once was—a boy foolish enough to imagine he could walk away from it all for someone. She had been the love of his youth, a rare connection born from genuine affection and a shared enmity for a former friend. Isla. He hadn’t seen her in years, not since his father discovered his plan to leave. The lesson his father taught him about the cost of betrayal had been swift and brutal. Duty came first; there was no room for anything else. Devran never made it to the airport. Isla had waited, perhaps for hours, before realizing he wasn’t coming. He had few regrets in life, but leaving her like that—without a word, without closure—was among the coldest things he’d ever done. So when a friend casually invited him out, promising yet another setup, Devran was unprepared for the name that would stop him cold. Isla.