Closed- For @hntedhouse // Drew Location - Casa Dragones

it had been a full week since salem arrived into town. she'd been keeping busy exploring around the various shops and bars, the possibility of running into her ex leon looming over her head in the process. tonight she found herself at los fantasmas, a bar she'd become fond of in her short time here. after spending a good chunk of the night drinking with a few locals she finally mustered up the courage to see leon. she thought about calling him or texting him that she was in town but wasn't hopeful she'd get a response. in his defense though the breakup was pretty bad, she probably wouldn't wanna talk to herself either. in the cab ride over her nerves started to get the best of her and the possibility of leon rejecting her at the door crept into her mind. after stumbling out of the cab and arriving at his door she knocked twice and looked around while she waited for a response. what if he wasn't home? was this a mistake? she thought to herself and not a moment sooner she was surprised as leon opened the door. "um well..." she said stuttering a bit at his response. "i was just casually in the country and thought i'd pop by and say hey." slurring her words a bit as she nervously looked down at the ground.

ten pm. leon sits on the balcony of his godmother's apartment. he faces the ocean and looks at some notes he's written on his phone. mostly lyric ideas. he puts out a half-smoked cigarette when he hears the doorbell. who could it be? he's not expecting anyone. unless it's drew, he probably got accidentally too high again. when leon opens the door, he's surprised to see salem. the woman who broke his heart stands in front of him and it takes him a moment to react. "what are you doing here?" he finally asks.

@cybermuses

"listen, i can respect the culture but not necessarily want to partake in it okay?" salem responded with a chuckle. "plus i don't care what science says, no amount of alcohol can kill the fact that literal feet were in there." despite the gross display in front of her salem gave birdie a nod in agreement to more wine. maybe it was her buzz or just the fact that she was in birdies company but salem didn't think she'd be enjoying herself this much at a winery. "as long as it's not any of that dry and bitter stuff we tried earlier. merlot was it? way too mature for me, i want something a little more on the sweet side."

" it's grape-treading, salem. it's culture. " birdie says it in a very over-dramatic, matter-of-fact tone, clicking their tongue, " and i don't think any icky foot bacteria can survive during the wine-making process. with all the alcohol and stuff. and they use wine presses now, duh. " a pause, eyes watching the people in front of them stomp away at the grapes in a large barrel. is that a barrel ? trough, maybe ? " that being said, that looks like a textural nightmare, so we're not doing it. more wine, maybe ? " of the not-food variety.

the party is crowded and salem is hoping leon doesn't make a huge scene in front of everyone else. she didn't blame him for being upset about the other guy but she wasn't doing it on purpose to piss him off. as she finished her drink she was caught off guard by leon suddenly taking her by the arm and into one of the empty bedrooms. "that wasn't aggressive at all..." she said sarcastically after leon pushed her up against the wall. salem was visibly irritable at how confrontational he was being and looked down at the ground as he spoke to her. "i'm not being mean! i'm just confused as to why you're being so aggressive right now? i wasn't flirting with that guy to piss you off. i didn't even know you were going to be here." she replied in frustration while looking up at him, the two of them being inches apart from one another. drama aside though she had to admit he was looking really good tonight.

her sarcastic words go into him like a dagger. what is she mad about now? "aight," he scoffs. looking around, leon recognizes a few faces here and there. the terrace is basically packed and there's no way he can talk to her right now. not now when his heart is beating faster and his mind takes him to inappropriate scenarios in front of other people. "c'mere," he simply demands as he grabs her by the elbow and leads her inside. the fact that she seems to be doing okay without him is killing him. and she'll regret it. once they reach the stairs, leon basically drags her up to one of the empty bedrooms and locks the door behind him. it takes him a split second to push her against the wall. "stop being so fucking mean to me and look at me. look at me," he insists.

salem giggled at luna's response. most of the time luna was in some sort of platform boot and after a while the different styles kind of meshed together in a way. "unfortunately for me i didn't inherit my mom's eye for the little details in fashion but those shoes are super cute." she said reassuringly. "you should see if you can get a brand deal with demonia or something." luna fit the brand's aesthetic perfectly. a big smile stretched across salem's face at luna's reaction. she'd been missing all her close friends terribly the past couple of weeks and was just happy everyone had been giving her the space to be by herself for a bit. "i've been good! i'm working on new music and trying to just hone in on creating again so i've been in a better headspace. a more creative one, finally." she sipped on her coffee and nodded. "i found a cool place here where i can record which is perfect." valpo had become like a second home to salem and truthfully she had no intentions on going back to new york anytime soon. "i really want to work on the whole album here from start to finish if i can. speaking of which i desperately need some luna magic on it." she exclaimed trying her best to contain her excitement about the possibilties. "but enough about that, how have you been? anything interesting going on lately?"

               maybe   if   her   wardrobe   varied   in   color   or   style,   the   black   platform   boots   with   the   broken   heart   buckles   and   chains   hanging   from   the   sides   would   be   recognizable   as   being   new.   though,   she   guessed,   the   pout   on   their   features   would   work   to   serve   the   same   purpose.   "   what   do   you   mean   ?   i've   never   worn   these   out   before   today.   "   they   looked   down   at   them   briefly,   before   releasing   a   sigh   and   making   a   mental   note   to   go   shopping   for   some   more   boots   later.   the   shoes   resting   at   their   side   were   soon   forgotten   at   the   sound   of   salem's   sweet   words.   a   slut   for   reassurance,   it   always   make   luna   light   up   when   they   heard   they   were   missed,   or   thought   of,   or   even   just   someone   they   were   happy   to   see.   "   ay   que   amoroso   !   "   she   nearly   squealed,   her   hand   coming   across   the   table   to   take   hold   of   salem   with   a   small   giggle.   "   nothing   dramatic   about   missing   someone   !   especially   if   the   someone   is   me   because   i've   missed   you   too   !   "   they   explained   scooting   the   chair   more   under   the   table   and   leaning   forward   on   it   to   give   salem   their   full   attention.   "   how   have   you   been   ?   where   have   you   been   ?   don't   leave   any   details   out,   i   feel   like   i've   missed   an   entire   lifetime   !   "

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   ?   "

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.

"the mallory jade getting on her knees and begging for forgiveness would be a wild sight. imagine the commotion it would cause online." salem teased before taking a sip of her coffee. "staying out of trouble? for some reason i don't believe you. there's got to be more." she found it hard to believe mallory hadn't been up to anything interesting since they last saw one another. the pair was wild but the other was typically always up to something. "the song?" salem said enthusiastically. "it's called honey and it's pretty much done. i think i'm gonna leave it real stripped down and acoustic and release it like that. i wrote it about that girl i was telling you about." it was refreshing for salem to talk about working on new music again without any pressure surrounding it. "i was struggling for the longest time but now i have all these feelings i need to work through you know? i'm just trying to sort through everything i'm feeling in a healthy way. speaking of which we need a collab."

"I know but I feel like it." Mallory pouted, returning the reassuring gesture by briefly squeezing Salem's hand. "Seriously, I feel like I need to get on my knees and beg for your forgiveness. And you know I don't just do that for anyone." She listened as Salem shared about how she spent her time. Mallory admired her friend's resilience and humor in the face of it all. "I'm fine. Been staying out of trouble which is surprising given my history." Mallory teased, trying to lighten up the mood. She wasn't going to unpack her feelings not without knowing her oldest friend was clearly going through something bigger than she was. "But enough about me, tell me more about this music you've been writing. I'd love to hear all about it. I feel like it's been too long since you've released a song."

salem playfully rolled her eyes at his comment. "it's not a matter of being weak they're just disgusting." she says while pushing the raisins off to the side of the plate. as the two sat there quietly while the jazz music played in the background salem thought about how the night was going perfectly. having dinner with leon and their playful banter was reminiscent of how things were back when they were just friends and sometimes she missed the simplicity of that. looking over at him as he spoke she gave him a small smile, knowing the inevitable talk about things was about to happen made her anxious but she knew it needed to happen. "what am i afraid of? well..." salem thought for a moment. knowing exactly what she was afraid of when it came to her relationship always felt silly when she said it out loud. it wasn't like leon had never really given her any reason to be fearful of committing to him fully. "truthfully? you're the only stable thing in my life. with how i grew up going back and forth between places and being on tv i've never really had anything that i've felt completely secure in." pausing for a moment, she ran her fingers through her hair. "it just scares me to have finally have the stability that i've always needed but in a person. that's really the only way i can put it." it felt nice to be open with leon about why the relationship was so scary to her, her only regret being not doing it sooner. "also, me leaving had nothing to do with you. this last time everything got so hectic with trying to plan this next album that i felt like i wasn't being the girlfriend you needed. it was just all so much and i had a hard time juggling everything. i got in my head and figured you'd be better off with someone a little more put together than i am. with you being here and me being back home my insecurities were raging. i'm sorry for doing that in general, especially over the phone like that."

"well, i guess i have the right connections," he teases. the look on her face makes his heart warm. that look used to be reserved for him alone. when they went on vacation together to cape may. the beautiful sights that made her eyes light up. and he treasures those moments still. when she says she misses him, he can't help but fall for her even more. what is wrong with him? "raisins aren't for the weak," he jokes as he takes a bite of his own dish, quickly taking the raisins off her plate and adding them to his own. he stays quiet for a moment, the jazz music playing in the distance. "you know..." he says as he puts the fork down. he stares at the waves crashing in front of them. "i really wanted this time to be special. for both of us. and i know you don't like to talk about this. because it's hard. i know that." leon sighs and takes a sip of the beer he'd brought along with the food. "but... we have to talk about it," he finally says, now looking at her, looking for her eyes. looking for the love in her eyes. the worst part of it all, is that he sees it there. he knows she loves him. why is she so scared then? "what are you so afraid of?" there's no anger or anguish in his voice. not this time. he's genuinely curious. and he wants to know what goes through her head. maybe he'll understand her better. maybe things aren't doomed for them.

🎈, 🏹, 🔮 <3

🎈 BALLOON — what is something you've created and/or accomplished recently that you're proud of?

"definitely the new music i'm working on. i just wrote a super sapphic love song that's kinda cheesy but cute as hell."

🏹 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?

"i' would have definitely put my foot down for more normalcy. i kinda just rolled with the punches as far as how i grew up and i wish i knew what boundaries were so i wasn't so exposed.

🔮 CRYSTAL BALL — what is a core memory from your childhood that you think defines you today?

"well, most my childhood was spent with cameras around me 24/7 so not really having my own safe space growing up made me very adamant in having one as an adult. but I also try to provide that for others if im able to.”

as salem plucked a few grapes off the vine she chuckled at solana. the age difference between the two of them seemed to slip her mind until it was mentioned. solana always reminded salem of a big sister no more than a few years older than herself. "you talk as if you're like....prehistoric babe. you're still pretty young. there's no real reason why you can't go on a bar crawl with me or be backstage at a concert." giving the other a playful nudge. she didn't have many older friends but it was refreshing to be around new people with different hobbies than hers. "i'm just now getting into it really and the most i know is that i hate those dry bitter red wines." she scrunches her face up at the thought. "i just don't have the taste palette for it honestly. whats your favorite?"

the joy radiating off of salem was infectious, and the slight ache in solana's cheeks from smiling so much was proof of that. " oh, super believable. " the comment accompanied by a soft bout of laughter. " now don't get me wrong, that's not a dig about who you are as a person. " she told her, plucking a few more grapes from the vine before tossing them into her basket. " you're young, there are way more fun things to do at your age. " truthfully, she would have been more surprised if she was a wine connoisseur. " i know i didn't do my first wine tasting until i was at least your ago. i just didn't have the palate for it back then. " now having a glass at the end of a long day was one of sol's preferred ways to unwind. at the admission, she rested a hand on salem's forearm, giving her a faint shake of her head. " i would never. "