🎈 BALLOON — what is something you've created and/or accomplished recently that you're proud of?
🖤 BLACK HEART — what would you say is the darkest thought you've ever experienced? what do you think caused you to have that thought? have you ever planned on or fantasized about acting on it?
🏹 BOW AND ARROW — if there's something from your past that you'd give anything to go back in time and redo, what is it?
💔 BROKEN HEART — is there anyone in your life you wish you had a better relationship with? if so, how come? what makes this person important to you?
🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your favorite holiday and why?
🎈🏹 answered here!
🖤 BLACK HEART — what would you say is the darkest thought you've ever experienced? what do you think caused you to have that thought? have you ever planned on or fantasized about acting on it?
"that's crazy, next question?"
💔 BROKEN HEART — is there anyone in your life you wish you had a better relationship with? if so, how come? what makes this person important to you?
"myself definitely. being picked apart about everything little thing for so long does a lot to a person's confidence. being on tv has damn near done irreversible damage to how i perceive myself. i'm trying really hard to be kinder and more patient with myself though."
🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your favorite holiday and why?
"halloween! i always try to be back in new orleans around that time because the atmosphere is absolutely insane in the best way. i would love to throw a giant halloween party at some point."
"i guess i just figured the person who owned the cafe actually owned the cats as well. maybe they're just loaning their cats to us to distract from the terrible coffee." salem teased while petting a smaller black cat that resembled stevie. "im almost sure im like a cat whisperer because i haven't come across a single one that doesn't like me." chuckling at spencer's comment she looked over at the other for a brief moment. "you could pretend to pass out or something. i'll stash two in my bag while you create a diversion. i just hope you're a cat person because you're definitely taking one of them."
spencer lifted an eyebrow, shrugging at salem, "i mean, what can they do to you? complain because you're giving them a good home? call the cat police? there's probably too many cats to keep track of here anyway." they looked around, a cat perched on the table adjacent to them, "plus, i dunno, they seem drawn to you, they should let you have one free of charge." they stated, "ask the staff which one they like the least, bet they'd let you have that one." they joked, scratching one of the smaller cats behind the ears, "if you decided to opt for stealing one instead of asking, i'll create a distraction for you." they half-teased.
status: open @valpostart location: cerro barrón street market
"i love this place, i absolutely love it." salem said enthusiastically to the other while holding up her bag of treasures. she'd spent most of the morning at the street market shopping around for things to put in her temporary place in viña del mar to make it feel a little more like a home to her. to no surprise though she mostly purchased jewelry and a few articles of clothing for herself. "i know i'm probably going overboard and i look like such a fucking tourist but i'm a sucker for hand made things. why aren't you as excited as i am?" she said slightly offended the other wasn't sharing her excitement.
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? “
when milani suggested a shopping spree salem immediately agreed. there was nothing she loved more than some retail therapy with one of her best friends. club monaco was supposed to be a quick stop but salem knew her friend well enough to know that was going to be a lie. she wasn't mad at it though considering milani was always fun to be around. there was something about her confidence and bold personality that bought comfort to salem. their pile of shopping bags were stacked next to salem's seat as she patiently waited outside the dressing room, scrolling through instagram on her phone. in true milani fashion she reappeared twenty minutes later in a completely different outfit (which was cute as hell) . "a complete wardrobe change is crazy." salem teased before the other spoke. as she eyed the two different shoe options she was stumped for a moment. "i think the black kedda's. you can do way more with them plus the flats give that coquette vibe. not that you couldn't pull that off but the loafers are more you." she nodded. "realistically thought you could just get both and maybe pair the flats with something else? but only if you feel really torn between the two."
status / open , @valpostart location / the quilpue mall
milani had promised club monaco would be the last stop they made. despite how quick she claimed to be, she still instructed the other to take a seat as she disappeared into the dressing room with an arm full of items. what ? she liked to have options. when they re-emerged from the room twenty minutes later in a brand new outfit, she was also barefoot, but they did come baring two options for their partner to pick from. " i stood in front of the mirror for a whole five minutes clueless, i need your help. " she sighed as she came to stand in front of them. " should i go for white ballerina flats or black kedda loafers ? and yes, i am aware that i do look good in anything, so try to imagine it's not me in this outfit but someone much more... plain. which one of these would make the outfit on them look better ? "
salem cleared some space on the table for him and shook her head. "you weren't interrupting at all! i'm never going to say no to having someone keep me company." she replied with a reassuring smile. "a true artist? that's new....i've never gotten that before but i'll take it." she let out a small chuckle. her definition of a true artist was someone like her personal hero stevie nicks. "not so much a masterpiece, more so a recording schedule and a lot of boring details i have to jot down for this album. i did start writing a song earlier though so i guess we can call that little bit a masterpiece." salem closed the journal to focus on the other. she'd seen taj around before and knew of him but never really had the chance to actually interact with him. "i'm salem by the way. but besides the smoothie what have you been up to so far today? "
taj had hardly left the house in general anyway. between training for his fights as if he was about to be the next coming of rocky by getting up at 2AM and jogging to crashing around 12PM midday for only 1hour close to 2, taj didn't have the most steady of sleep schedules. it was a big part of why he didn't have many friends since moving three years ago. he made the best of his off days, when he knew he didn't have any fights scheduled and tore away from his two bedroom apartment in spite of temptation. he had ended up wondering about almost like a little puppy in search of adventure and found himself at casablnca blooms and coffee. he was actually trying not to be too obvious glancing towards the beauty in the corner just scribbling away in her notepad. he was so bad at approaching people that if she hadn't suggested for him to join her, he probably would've missed the opportunity. taj was a lot of things, shy was around the 20th of them. he got up trying to remain casual and seem not to eager that someone had noticed him instead of blending in with the dozens of faces. the smoothie in his right hand, he slid into the booth across from her. "I didn't want to interrupt a true artist at her work," he smiled nodding at her journal. "creating a masterpiece in there?"
salem didn't intend on stealing rohan's cat, technically, but when she came across the cute orange creature she assumed it was a stray and had the bright idea to bring home a friend for stevie. her brain was buzzing with ideas for how the two cats could play and the matching outfits she'd already been plotting on putting them in. secretly she was hoping no one would come looking for it but after some back and forth in the group chat salem realized she did in fact already have a home. the owner in question though was unfortunately it was rohan.
"actually, it's me being a good cat mom and it's you being a horrible cat dad by letting her roam so far i was able to snatch her up. you couldn't pull yourself away from the ocean for two seconds to check on her? truthfully i think she’d be better off with me." salem replied sarcastically as the two sat on her couch observing the napping cats. "you know, if i didn't believe in karma i would have stayed silent in the groupchat but i'd be inconsolable if my cat, stevie which is her name by the way, went missing and i couldn't find her."
closed starter for SALEM ( @cybermuses ) location : wherever the kitty cats are at right now lmfao
-ˋˏ ꒰ 🐚 ꒱ ── boat cat does look comfortable, curled up in the basket, sleeping next to the second cat, the black one, exactly like the picture. it's a fact rohan can't deny. he never worried that she was in the wrong hands, really the cat has always come and gone as she wanted, but he did have a lot of questions that were left unanswered : how'd she get here ? where did salem come across her ? did she know anything else about this little orange cats other alter egos ?
" so is this like. . . some kind of messed up cat psychological experiment thing ? " he asks her dubiously, " you just go out onto the street looking for other unsuspecting cats and then play matchmaker ? bring them home, set them up. . . " he gestures vaguely towards the napping cats with his hand. that's a weird hobby, he thinks, ever-curious to see just how the tabby ended up in this most recent situation. " hope they live happily ever after ? " he points to the second cat, the culprit in question, " can i least know their name or is that an impolite thing to ask ? "
salem smiled as leon wrapped his arm around her and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. it was refreshing the way they fell back into the groove of their relationship. "well...it's cute but not enough for me to want to buy it." she shrugged before placing the ring back down on the table. salem took his hand in hers as the two continued to walk by the various souvenir tables before stopping at a shaded off spot beneath a tree. "well usually i'd want to be backstage but i think i want to watch from the crowd this time." leaning back against the tree she draped her arms around his neck looking up at him. "that way i'll be able to get better pictures of you and i can vlog some of the performance for you if you want." salem had been taking pictures of leon on stage since the two became friends and it ended up becoming a reoccurring thing when they officially started dating. "who knows, maybe i'll run into jlo in the crowd and we can finally become best friends."
leon chuckles and turns the camera off. "okay so first, i'm not shoving the camera in your face, so relax," he teases as he puts the device back in his backpack. "vivi loves you. you know that." the man puts an arm around her waist as he too focuses on the souvenirs. magnets and notebooks and rings and macrame bracelets. "i like this one," he smiles pointing to a silver-colored ring that has a tribal pattern. "they're too small for my fingers tho. maybe you should get it." he squeezes her tighter against his body. being back together with salem feels natural. he'd missed her too much. having his girl back on his side is what makes him happy. "do you wanna see my show from the crowd or backstage? i can get you a pass."