Salem Let Out A Quiet Chuckle Wishing That Were True But Honestly She Was Very Fucked Up. She'd Been

salem shook her head and chuckled at the mention of avia. she told birdie should would get them something big and here the two were eyeing a large monstera plant. she wondered for a second how birdie's cousin would react to them bringing home such a large plant after essentially banning the other from owning one again. "i kinda feel like i'm setting myself up to get in trouble with aviva but i can take the heat if it's for you i suppose." she nervously glanced over to birdie for a moment. they were on their date that wasn't a date (truthfully neither of them could tell you what exactly it was) but she was trying her best to be normal about it. just two friends shopping for a plant. "it's nice but if we're going to potentially piss your cousin off we should at least go bigger."

closed / @cybermuses location / plantas altas

          ꒰ა  ♡  ໒꒱  --— "  okay,  so  –  aviva did say  no  more  live  plants,  but  it's  fine ! i  think  if  i  use  the  defense  that  you'll  be  over  to  check  up  on  them,  she'll  be  more  open  to  it.  "  birdie  says  it  with  a  grin,  eyes  scanning  the  monsteras  in  front  of  her.  they  very  pointedly  aren't  looking  at  salem  –  she  might  puke  from  nerves  if  she  does,  too  distracted  by  the  fact  that  salem  looks very  pretty  today.  does  she  always  look  that  pretty  ?  of  course  she  does,  birdie  just  never  really  let  herself  think  about  that  before  all  ...  this happened,  "  what  do  you  think  ?  it'll  be  your  kid,  too,  you  get  input.  " 

salem, what's your dream date?

“why? do you know someone who wants to take me on one?”

salem gave iris a reassuring nod before pushing a few things on the table aside to make room for the other to set her things down. "of course i'm sure! i need to be around people anyways plus i would love the company." she said with a smile. "you're actually the first familiar face i've seen all day if you can believe it." salem had seen iris around town and made conversation in passing but still hadn't gotten a chance to really speak to her or check out the infamous quilpué zoo for that matter. "is your hand okay by the way?" she asked with a bit of concern after eyeing the bandage. "i'm sure handling animals all day poses great risks. hopefully you weren't mauled by a tiger or something."

iris had spent most of her time with... animals. which made great company, at least so she thought, but it wasn't the same as connecting with people. she had been having a hard couple of months, which fuelled her into taking more hours at work with her practice and ignoring everyone else in favour of animals. she had just gotten done with a doctors appointment, her hand slightly mauled by a cat and it was just a precaution to see the doctor but everything was fine and she couldn't even blame the cat for acting out -- it was all just part of the job. now that she was at the cafe she desperately needed some kind of caffeine after her shift. it used to be like this when she was in school, getting a coffee before, and getting a coffee after just to keep her head up. when she gets her cup of iced coffee she has her ipad in hand to do some charting but realizes there's not many spaces left until she eyes salem, and she looks behind her to see if she's talking to anyone else before cautiously making her way over towards the other woman and gently sitting down in the chair. "are you sure?" she asks, "i just wasn't sure if you were talking to me or not. but i'd love to sit with you, of course."

if there was one thing salem couldn’t say no to it was a shopping trip. retail therapy had always been her go to no matter what she was dealing with in life. this time around though she was happy to just simply tag along while valentina shopped around for some new clothes. while she waited she scrolled through instagram briefly, a smile stretching across her lips as the other emerged from the dressing room. “you look fucking amazing!” she exclaimed, probably a little too loud in the boutique dressing room. "well...as far as it being too much it really depends on what the occasion is?" not that the other needed a special occasion to wear it anyways. "i also feel like you're technically never overdressed. i think you should go for it." she nodded with approval.

»  𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑼𝑺 ― open ― @valpostart

»  𝑳𝑶𝑪𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 ― plaza de sol

valentina slid back the curtain to the dressing room in one of the local boutiques plaza de sol had to offer, stepping out like a model on a catwalk before striking a pose in front of the other; long limbs on display in a barely there, black, glittering scrap or fabric dress that had been calling her name from the moment she saw it on the mannequin through the front window. “ what do you think? “ while the opinions of others weren’t held in too high of a regard, she would be lying if she said there wasn’t a part of her that craved approval, attention. doing a one-eighty, she turned toward the mirror, dark hues roaming over her reflection as her hands skimmed over her hips, smoothing the second-skin like fabric. “ too much? or just enough? “

status: closed for @snoopyszn // matty

"it sounds good in theory but..." pausing for a moment she took a bite of her fourth churro of the day (so far). "lets say hypothetically we do break into the isidora facility tonight...are you even sure it's haunted? if i'm gonna potentially get a breaking and entering charge in a completely different country it's gotta be worth it." salem said to matty. she wasn't opposed to ghost hunting but she was a bit skeptical about the whole process. "also, wouldn't streaming it kind of incriminate us?"

she pouted briefly after realizing she'd have to wait a little longer to be reunited with her child but seeing boat cat was an added bonus. the orange creature had become like a second child to her. "luna was right with doing that you know. i mean the only reason why we're besties is because you're a negligent cat parent towards boat cat." salem knew referring to the two as besties would make rohan shudder and she couldn't help that she found amusement in getting on his nerves ( it was pretty simple after all ) and she had to admit she did enjoy their back and forth. as he toted the luggage into the car she rolled her eyes at his comment. "i don't need luggage that expensive no, but i can't help that i have nice things." climbing into the passenger seat in an attempt to get out of the cold she continued on. "i was just talking shit really, you know i'm not one to really flex my wealth but it obviously annoyed you and that's enough for me." a laugh falling from her lips. salem knew she should have probably thanked him first before getting on his nerves but it wasn't in her nature to be nice to rohan immediately. she looked over at him as he got into the drivers seat and gave him a small smile. "thanks by the way. i appreciate you offering to bring me home. i got you a really obnoxious gift for the boat also."

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-ˋˏ ‏‏‎ ‎꒰ ‏‏‎ ‎🐚 ‏‏‎ ‎꒱‏‏‎ ‎ ──‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎“  yeah  exactly.  you  know.  airports :  those  places  people  notoriously  pick  up  women  and  hate  reading.  that’s  what  all  the  bookstores  inside  are  for.  “  rohan  knows  he  can  be  a  bit  abrasive.  he  knows  he’s  hard  to  talk  to.  he  can’t  help  it,  especially  when  it  comes  to  salem.  she's  so  quick  with  her  own  quips  that  the  back  and  forth  comes  naturally──  and  manages  to  avoid  how  itchy  he  gets  every  time  he  thinks  he's  starting  to  become  friends  with  someone.  his  gaze  follows  her  as  she  peers  expectantly  into  the  back  of  the  cab,  and  rohan  tosses  the  little  paperback  he  was  holding  through  the  open  window  of  the  driver's  side  door.  "  sorry,  i  was  talking  about  boat  cat.  luna  wouldn't  let  me  take  stevie.  "  he  did  try  to  argue  that  it  made  sense  to  get  both  salem  and  stevie  from  valpo  to  viña  del  mar  in  one  trip  ;  unfortunately,  that  did  not  sway  their  opinion.  "  apparently  i  can't  be  trusted.  my  track  record  is  too  poor  with  boat  cat,  whatever  that  means.  "  a  beat  passes  as  he  looks  between  salem  and  her  bags,  an  eyebrow  raised,  but  he  gives  in  easily,  moving  to  pull  open  the  back  door  of  the  cab  so  he  could  put  them  there──  unfortunately  for  him,  rohan  tends  to  be  more  bark  than  bite.  "  do  you  really  need  luggage  that  expensive  ?  i  spent  like,  half  my  life  savings  on  that  boat. unless that was your attempt at a subtle brag ? it doesn't impress me how much money you have, you know.  " 

salem grabbed the flowers and started cutting the stems as leon spoke preparing them to go in the vase. they were beautiful and normally something so simple would make her feel like the happiest girl in the world but the longer she looked at them the sadder she got about things all over again. his comment threw her off for a moment and the most she could manage to reply with was a chuckle at first. how was she supposed to respond to that anyways? "well, i've been here and i haven't left so i'm not sure why it's so weird for you without me. shouldn't be the other way around?" the words blurted out of her mouth without a second thought. it was probably a bit harsh but it was the truth. before she could respond to his question he ripped the band-aid off for the both of them and decided to address the elephant in the room. she nodded as she placed the flowers in the vase and looked over at him. "you're right, we should talk about things. i'd love to know what you're doing here and why you've suddenly just barrelled back into my life like things didn't end the way they did. it better be one hell of an explanation too." things were different this time. her guard was way up with him.

leon chuckles at her teasing, he'd missed her so fucking much. "they're no pastel de choclo, but i figured you'd like them better," he attempts to lighten the tension that's building between them. it could easily be cut with a knife. after salem starts small talk, leon twists his lips out of nervous habit. "it's been fine. not the same without you." it's actually been weird as fuck. he doesn't feel as connected to the city as he used to. adjusting back to the valpo lifestyle has been complicated, especially because he's really tight on money right now, and everything's even more expensive than before he left. oh right, and the weird feeling of not being cooped up in a house with his grandma and his teetering-on-alcoholic mother. "you?" leon huffs out the word, but clearly he'd rather talk about the elephant in the room right now. "actually, listen, i'm really so fucking sorry, sal. can we sit down and talk about it? please." he doesn't expect the conversation to bring everything back to normal. she has all the right to not trust him right now. he knows he fucked up. he didn't mean to tho. leon loves the woman standing in front of him with all his messed up heart. it beats faster as the words roll out of his mouth. he wonders if she can hear it.

salem frowned a bit when noticing the grape juice splatter all over his shirt. poor drew was kind of a mess at the moment and she couldn't help but laugh a bit. after drew spewed out his rapid fire questions salem stood up while offering a helping hand. "depends on the vampire film. obviously yes to queen of the damned. i think a shirtless vampire in leather pants that became rockstar is such a realistic storyline." she continued on after helping drew up. "the original fright night is great also, though i don't think you're a twilight guy if we're getting a little more modern." she didn't' really see drew as team edward or jacob. "i love kettle corn but i've never had the sriracha. if you hate it maybe your roommate may like it."

drew sits up and accepts the napkins, thanking salem as he begins to scrub the stickiness off of his hands. he waves a dismissive hand in response to her question, though it's with a grimace as he notices the fresh stain on his shirt ( boldly proclaiming him ' corpse of the month at family fun funeral home ' although with the grape juice splattered all over the front it looks like he's just some lame-o corpse with no special superlative ). "being immortal renders one immune to death," he points out, "not the tilt - a - whirl. do we need to have a vampire movie marathon ? do you like kettle corn ? do you want any flavoring for it ? did you know they make flavoring for kettle corn ? i have spicy sriracha at home, but i haven't tried it yet because what if it's too spicy ? have you ever tried it ? " it isn't until after posing his last question that he affords salem any time to answer him.

status: open! @valpostart location: casablanca blooms & coffee

it had been a while since salem left the house, she'd been recluse lately for a couple reasons. she was finally to the point where being home was starting to get old and she needed to get out of her head and be around other people. after spending some time out and about (which included spending money on things she didn't need at secondhand style) she found herself at casablanca blooms and coffee. what was supposed to be a quick coffee run turned into an hour of her being scribbling in her journal at one of the empty tables. "if you wanna join me you can, i really could use the company." she said with a smile to the familiar face a few feet away.

to say salem was surprised when rohan offered to give her a ride from the airport would be an understatement. the two weren’t exactly best friends ( and the thought that they were becoming friends made her shudder a bit ) but salem had a theory that he was trying to worm his way into getting one of those vintage guitars they spoke of. with her bags in hand she made her way to the pick up area and eyed rohan with his book in hand. “pretending to read at the airport to pick up girls is wild.” she said while approaching the other. the two didn’t really know how to have a normal conversation that didn’t invole insulting one another. salem rolled her eyes at his comment as she placed her bags down next to her. maybe taking an uber would have been a better idea. “i don’t always look judgemental, you just do a really great job at irritating me. you think your face was the first one i wanted to see after a ten hour flight?” she replied matter of factly as she made her way to the backseat window to quickly peak in at stevie who she missed terribly. “be gentle with my luggage, it costs more than your little boat by the way.” her hand gensturing towards the bags while turning back to face rohan. 

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closed  starter  for  SALEM  (  @cybermuses  ) location  :  airport  ?  ✈️

-ˋˏ ‏‏‎ ‎꒰ ‏‏‎ ‎🐚 ‏‏‎ ‎꒱‏‏‎ ‎ ──‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎the  sound  of  luggage  wheels  on  the  pavement  causes  rohan  to  look  up  from  where  he's  leaning  against  his  truck,  and  almost  immediately  he  snaps  the  worn  paperback  in  his  hands  shut,  tucking  it  under  his  arm.  he's  not  a  bad  person,  see.  rohan's  world  runs  on  favours  ;  he  might  have  sworn  off  the  idea  of  personal  friendships,  but  favours  ?  he  could  argue  to  himself  that  favours  were  simply  an  investment  in  good  will  because  he  might  need  to  cash  them  in  one  day──‏‏‎   even  if  he  had  to  be  delusional  to  think  that  it  wasn't  obvious  he  had developed something bordering on friendship with the woman  who  had,  if  you  asked  him,  kidnapped  his  cat  into  forced  marriage.  "  sorry,  i'm  not  doing  charity  work  ;  the  taxis  are  over  there,  "  he  informs  her  playfully  (  or,  as  playful  as  rohan  can  get  )  gesturing  her  away.  it's  the  closest  to  a  real  greeting  salem  is  going  to  get,  even  if  he  was  the  one  to  offer  to  pick  her  up  in  the  first  place.  "  i'm  waiting  for  someone.  you  might  have  seen  her  ?  about  this  tall──‏‏‎   "  he  holds  his  palm  flat  in  the  air  in  front  of  him,  "  ──‏‏‎ curly  hair,  always  has  this  look  on  her  face  like  she's  judging  you.  .  .  ?  her  cat  is  in  my  car  and,  much  like  her,  has  an  attitude  problem.  "