yaseminguven

[yaseminguven]

"Being delusional got me very far in life. You should try it sometime before you mock me." She joked back, her feelings not hurt in the slightest. If she couldn't even take a little dig, the streets would've chewed her up and spit her out before she could blink twice.

"I'm glad we're on the same page about that. Unmatched has a great ring to it." She didn't really believe the words coming out of her mouth but sometimes she liked to just say things for the fun of it and see if people bought it or not. "nihayet. I thought I'd have to go and peel the potatoes myself." Yaz rolled her eyes before popping a few chips into her mouth. Fucking delicious. The wait had been worth it. "Oh that's sad. They forgot about you? That's gotta sting. You couldn't waterboard that information out of me." She didn't say what brought her here tonight.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, the delusion here is perhaps even more impressive," the dig came with a smug grin, still he leaned his elbow on the counter, as if to actually think about it. He'd seen plenty more impressive things and he could think of quite a few ones involving the task force members, or even one regarding his mother, who could still, at her age touch her toes with her legs straight and make it look effortless. "Nah, I got nothing. Your burger stacking skills are unmatched by anything else ever achieved by mankind," right. "The pleasure's all mine. I'm humbled. A stacking legend such as you ? You don't get to meet one every day." The bartender stopped by the pair then, setting down their plates and drinks, and he raised his glass to that. "So what are you doing here anyway ? I'll start. I was supposed to meet my sister and her boyfriend here but they forgot it was today. Ouch. I guess."

[yaseminguven]

maybe she'll lie, maybe not

[yaseminguven]

"Name one thing more impressive than that." She motioned for him to go on, knowing that there were tons of things that were in fact more impressive than the amount of mini burgers she could eat in one sitting. Still, Yaz had fun teasing him. "Shit show would be the perfect way to describe it." She laughed, shaking her head. "But enough about that. Nice to meet you officially, Ira. My name's Yasemin, but most people call me Yaz."

"Well blimey, that's just my luck then," the policeman took a look at the woman, who now wore her hair down, and whose eyes he could more easily see. now that she no longer hid her face. "No? I've seen more glorious achievements than world record for mini burgers stacked on a plate," he leaned against the edge of the counter,if only to catch the bartender's attention and order himself a portion of those too. "That was something, huh? What a major fucking shit show," nothing so bad for his squad, who had gotten their hands on... Well he was happy not to think about it right now. "I suppose I better introduce myself then. That's the second time we meet and you still don't know my name. I'm Iraavanan. You can call me Ira though."

[yaseminguven]

"No it's not! It's my real one!" She grumbled in annoyance as she took a couple of his fries, sliding her ID over the table so he could get a closer look at it. While she had several fake IDs she thought all of them were made well, she had a friend who specialised in that sort of thing.

"I was going to pregame. I have a date tonight and the guy's kind of annoying? But he's hot and rich so he'll take me out to get some good food. I picked a really pricey restaurant." She had initially been excited about the food, but after the hippodrome she wasn't so sure anymore. Rich people food wasn't really to her taste.

Bora didn’t mind that Yasemin was late—he’d brought along a little light reading to pass the time, an exploration of goddesses’ roles in Greek mythology—but he’d worked up an appetite digging a grave earlier that evening, and so by the time Yaz showed up, he was halfway through an order of loaded fries. Marking his page and setting the book aside with one hand, he pushed the fries toward her with the other. “Is it fake?” he asked. “Let me see.” She wouldn’t have to lie about her age anymore, but if she was using a fake name or credentials, they’d better be realistic.

Other than that, though, he just kept eating and let her rage—he’d found with his siblings that it was usually best to let them vent. “So, what was your plan with the whiskey?” he asked after her initial outburst. “Shots with your chicken, or are you going somewhere after? —After you kill this guy, of course.”

[yaseminguven]

"Worst of the worst." She agreed with a grimace. She didn't like talking about her parents much, preferring to avoid the topic rather than delve into her fucked up childhood. It wasn't an easy topic to discuss and with most people she'd dismiss it and not say anything, but Yelena was different, one of the few people she genuinely trusted. "They're definitely good at taking whatever they can get their hands on." She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen either of her parents sober for longer than a few hours.

Yaz shuddered, shaking her head. A nine to five sounded like her worst nightmare. Doing the same thing over and over again, day in and day out. A life of crime was exciting, an adrenaline rush you couldn't get elsewhere.

The word set her teeth on edge.

Parents.

Yelena scratched at the small hairs at the back of her neck and they pinched below her rough fingers. She hummed, nodding at Yasemin and tried not appear like she was floating away. Oksana was a ghost then, that haunted her peripheral and made her feel sick. Yelena looked away, at her feet, at the obscene point of her chic boot, and frowned.

"Parents are the worst." Yelena said suddenly, a quiet venom seeping into her tone until it turned rotten. "-they take so much, all the time they just-" Yelena looked up and pinched her thumb and fore-finger together several times for emphasis "-take, take take-" She shook her head, scoffing loudly "....svoloch" she muttered then, eyes narrowing at Yasemin before ultimately, looking away.

It took a moment of silence, of utter quiet between the two friends, before Yelena could smile at her and have it reach her ears. "Can you imagine." she laughed loudly, hands finally slipping free of her pockets to then, fold across her chest. "-nine to five? Ugh-" her eyebrows popped suddenly and she laughed again "-real life is so boring."

[yaseminguven]

open: other JR members

location: random chicken shop

Yasmine stormed into the chicken shop about fifteen minutes late, annoyed expression on her face as she looked around searching for a familiar face, sighing as she slid into her chair across from them. She only wanted to make a small stop before they met up but the small stop turned into a thirty minute argument with the 75 year old cashier at the liquor store. "Sorry I'm late, but this one's not on me. I was just denied buying a a bottle of whiskey because the guy was convinced my ID's fake and that I'm actually underage. Don't you dare laugh or say not to take it personal. I'm taking this very personal. I don't care that he doesn't have much time left to live, I'm ready to make his time even shorter."

[yaseminguven]

When he told her long it's been since they'd seen each other her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't remembered just how much time had passed, preferring to surpress the memories of foster care. It had been before she became part of the Jolly Rogers, early into her life as a thief. A teacher had reported her parents as she'd missed several days of school, which lead to a home visit that ended with her being taken away from them for several months until they managed to get her back. "Must have been around fourteen years. How'd you recognise me?" Her face still held a lot of what it did when she was a kid, family members visiting from Turkey always saying how little she'd changed since the last time they'd seen her. She of course disagreed, but everyone saw things differently. "That's good, I'm glad. I've been good too. spending a lot of time with my cousin. He moved to London a few years ago."

The Hacker smiled, glad to be recognised, if only because it didn't mean they'd already been forgotten. There weren't many faces from their youth left, not ones they'd gotten along with at least. "It's been... at least more than twelve years," they said, the realisation hitting them hard. "Perhaps the fact that this is such an unlikely place is why it makes sense," they offered, not poetically, but matter of factly. After all, there were fewer people around this place than anywhere else in London, statistically the idea that they might run into each other at random was bigger here than in more crowded venues. "I've been good." Which wasn't a lie despite his circumstances, he was making money, after all, he was self-reliant, that was all he wanted to be. "How have you been?" He didn't answer the question on what he was doing there, of all places, after all, technically he wasn't supposed to be here.

[yaseminguven]

Yaz looked over at him from her seat at the bar, pausing for a moment as she considered his offer. Of course she knew who he was, with a job as big as the hippodrome she'd done some research to know who to avoid that night. They'd gotten away with it, so she figured she'd done quite well. While she remembered him for judging her for her stint at the buffet, she doubted he'd recognise her without the mask. "To be honest, I don't think you could handle me."

who: open where: some gentleman's club or the other when: the day after the liddell horse race

It wasn't that he was avoiding his family, per se, or the fall out of at the hippodrome. He'd get around to speaking to his siblings at some point, but for now, they could all wait. Under any other circumstance, Alexei would have been doing the same thing -- drinking overpriced wine and flirting with strangers. "Feel free to join me," he offered motioning to the empty seat in the booth beside him as he caught the eye of a passerby. "I promise I won't bite. Unless you'd like that, of course."

[yaseminguven]

Yasemin was walking home from the bar when she got wind of the street fight, ever curious and a fan of fights she decided to lean against the wall on the opposite side of the street and watch. It wasn't as fun to watch as boxing, but she did enjoy seeing a good fight from time to time. "I wouldn't judge you for considering a drink after all that."

OPEN STARTER for whomever London's streets, late evening, after a street fight

Lukesh hated being included in something when they weren't on the job. When their face was recognised or when they felt that annoying itch that they had to participate, which is what they did. And after they always regretted it. They weren't dressed to deal with it, their shirt was ripped and their lip bleeding.

But a few of the fighters had been arrested and they were free to continue their night. As if that was such an easy thing to get back from. Lukesh licked their lip and hissed at the pain. "Fuckers and alcohol, I swear, almost makes me want to take up drinking myself."

[yaseminguven]

"Are you saying I shouldn't be proud of eating nineteen tiny burgers? Give or take." She let out a gasp of mock offense, shaking her head at him, winking as her drink came, downing the shot of prosecco that came with the martini. It was like getting two drinks for the price of one, with drinks this expensive nowadays she was going to get her money's worth. "Yeah that's a perfect way to describe it. I can't believe what happened. It's just terrible." She grimaced, faking sympathy for the rich people as if she hadn't played a part in it herself. Still, she had the appearance of a civilian to keep up. "I'm Yasemin, Yaz for short. Nice to meet you. Under better circumstances."

"Well blimey, that's just my luck then," the policeman took a look at the woman, who now wore her hair down, and whose eyes he could more easily see. now that she no longer hid her face. "No? I've seen more glorious achievements than world record for mini burgers stacked on a plate," he leaned against the edge of the counter,if only to catch the bartender's attention and order himself a portion of those too. "That was something, huh? What a major fucking shit show," nothing so bad for his squad, who had gotten their hands on... Well he was happy not to think about it right now. "I suppose I better introduce myself then. That's the second time we meet and you still don't know my name. I'm Iraavanan. You can call me Ira though."

[yaseminguven]

"My parents both lost their jobs and were trying to get back on their feet. Started using... All the money they got went towards their addiction. Didn't leave much time for worrying about me. So I took care of myself." She shrugged, having come to terms with her messed up childhood. Or at least that's what she kept telling herself. She started by stealing small things and when she learned that she could get away with it she started stealing more. The rush, the excitement, it was as close to drugs she was willing to get.

"I do." She nodded with a smile, no hesitation. "It's what I'm good at. I couldn't sit behind a desk all day, or clock in to do the same boring job every day. It's not for me."

Yelena fidgeted, she was awfully fidgety. Always had been.

With her hands her pockets, she had taken to swinging left to right ever so slightly on the soles of her feet. She wore wide Cuban heels on her boots, and they scraped the pavement when she shifted. Yelena hummed along with Yasemin, hitting all the right beats for it to count as engagement in the conversation.

"You were eight?" Yelena said suddenly, stilling herself to look at Yasemin. She loosed a breath, hefty with comradery. "-that's young." Yelena was hardly a stranger to terrible things done under the umbrella of childhood, but eight was pushing it. She could almost picture her, little curly haired Yasemin running for her life. A strange sense empathy makes her shudder, suddenly.

"Hmm-" Yelena nodded, taking up her swaying again "-Do you like it Yasemin?" she asked, very nonchalantly "-Doing this sort of job, I mean?"

[yaseminguven]

"They do. To be fair, it's a big part of why I came here tonight. Their chips are fantastic." It certainly helped that she'd always ordered them while drunk so that might have influenced her opinion. That and the fact that her palate wasn't the most refined, food wise she was easy to make happy. Give her a burger and chips and she was sorted. It had been a staple meal for her growing up due to it being so cheap and filling. As a child that was left to their own devices, it was an easy choice to make. "The hippodrome! I knew it. Yeah that's me. I don't even mind it being my claim to fame. Not ashamed about it."

"Thank you," he rubbed at his face with his hand and laughed to himself while she ordered a drink that was too sugary to his taste, and a food that was amazing enough that he wouldn't comment on the former element. "Hold up they have chips?" Well the bartender was gone now, but this was going to be his meal tonight for certain now. He wouldn't be arsed into cooking, and his company was chatty enough for him to linger a while longer. "Smooth," he echoed, though he couldn't say he didn't feel the same way. They had met before, and lucky for her, he was (call it a professional consequence) excellent with faces, or half faces. "You're the gal with the mini burgers, ain't ya?"

[yaseminguven]

"Smooth." Yaz pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing, trying to keep a straight face was a challenge however. Looking over she furrowed her brows trying to place him. She'd seen him before, but where? Yaz sat down, flagging the bartender over and ordering a pornstar martini and a portion of fries. Maybe he'd know? Yaz turned towards him. "You know... I think I've seen you before."

"I'm afraid so," he began, looking over to his left. He didn't mind sitting by himself at the bar. Sometimes you just needed a drink, not a chat. But he might have had a couple of those now (the former), and his understanding of simple questions was lowered to 0. "Oh sorry. I thought you meant. I mean, it is free. It's not taken, you can have it. Or not." His brows furrowed and he grimaced. "Sorry," he already had said that. "I... Yeah I'm gonna shut up."

[yaseminguven]

Perhaps she was a little drunk already when she got to the bar, although if asked she'd deny it. She'd had a few drinks while getting ready and now she was blissfully relaxed, going over to the bar to order a drink, seeing the empty stool she looked over at the man to her right. "Sorry is this seat taken?"

@iraavanan-pathak

[yaseminguven]

"Tourists are such easy targets." She sighed wistfully, already imagining how much they could make if they did it right. Last time she'd walked off with a new iPhone and a gold watch.

Yaz shook her head at Yelena's question, letting out a laugh. "I wasn't always good, but as a kid it's easy to blend in with the masses or run off. People didn't suspect me immediately, but it took me a lot of time to learn. I was too scared to take anything at first, but after a few hungry days I had to learn, you know? They didn't give out jobs to eight year olds, so I did what I had to do. At first it was out of necessity, but then I started getting good and had fun. That's how I fell in with the JR. I was maybe fourteen? Got overconfident and a little cocky, stole from the wrong person."

"Ohh-" she began, eager and excited "-we should try down in the market today. It'll be full of Tourists this time of year."

Yelena nodded, listening intently. She had never really been good at this sort of thing. At stealth. At tact. She often found she never had the patience for it. She had been given a gun in her youth and told to just shoot her way out of any problems. Perhaps not the most helpful of advice, but it hadn't let her down yet.

Someone like Yasemin would have been a handy friend to have, back in Russia.

Yelena grinned at her, eyebrows popping for emphasis. "Was it hard to do at the start? To learn this?" she asked , curious "-or were you always good at it?. I've never asked."

[yaseminguven]

It took her a few moments but when she recognised Bo her smile widened immediately, the happiness genuine. "I do, yeah. My bad. How many years has it been? How are you? What are you doing here? Of all places, this isn't where i thought we'd run into each other again." Namely because this wasn't the type of place she'd normally be at.

Bo did as asked, removing the mask they’d almost forgotten they were wearing - after all, they always wore a mask with other people, a mask of pretending to another person, another personality, to please those they talked with. Their hair was shorter than when they’d been younger, less wild now that they combed it themself. The memory of brushing it the only they had left of their mother. “Do you recognise me now?” they asked, because for them the memories were slipping back in. 

[yaseminguven]

"Maybe..." She trailed off starting to laugh when Yelena did as well, the laughter of her friend infectious. Yasemin was proud that her pickpocketing tips were starting to pay off. It was all about subtlety and using a mark's distractions to your own benefit.

"Definitely. You are getting better, but don't use me as a benchmark. I've been doing this since I was a little kid. Sticky fingers can come in handy." She joked. "It'll be easier with an unsuspecting victim than with me. They won't know what hit 'em."

Who: Yelena & Yasemin (@yaseminguven) Where: Somewhere in London When: After the Event

"Does this belong to you?" Yelena was grinning when Yasemin turned around to face her, she holding her fellow Jolly Rogers phone in one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of her gold palazzo pants. Yelena managed to keep her head for a solid 2 seconds before laughing loudly, handing the contraption back over to Yasemin.

"I'm getting better-" she told Yasemin happily. Smugly, if the grin she wore was anything to go by. "-not as good of a pickpocket as you, obviously-" Yelena's eyes sparkled as she saddled a little closer to Yasemin and gave her a friendly nudge with her hip. "-but better, ah?"