Salem, What's Your Dream Date?

when salem told luna she wanted to get out of the house and explore she didn't anticipate a shopping binge at the street market. despite luna's despair about whatever they had going on being able to reunite with them was exactly what salem needed, it was comforting to know that she had someone familiar in valpo that didn't resent her at the moment. "you know you could just talk to me about it right?" she flashed them a smile in response to the comment about the necklace. salem placed her bags down and began rummaging through her totebag. "i know my life is a mess at the moment but you may need this more than me." she shook her head while pulling a black obsidian stone out of her bag. "wallowing isn't on the agenda for today but if i have to sage you from head to do in the middle of this street market i will. im fully armed."

               the   walk   was   meant   to   be   good   for   them.   a   good   time   with   an   old   friend,   the   sun   on   her   skin,   breathing   in   fresh   air;   it   all   was   meant   to   make   her   feel   better.   and   for   a   short   while,   it   had   worked   !   then   they   passed   by   a   couple   of   buskers   playing   lo   hice,   te   dijé   and   luna   was   reminded   why   they   were   dragged   out   of   their   bedroom   in   the   first   place.   "   daniel,   me   estas   mantando   that's   why   !   "   it   was   their   favorite   band   after   all.   who   hardly   tour.   and   who   decided   to   go   on   tour   smack   dab   in   the   middle   of   their   finals,   and   filming   of   '   klara   and   the   sun   '   meaning   that   she   wouldn't   be   attending   any   shows.   meaning   they   were   in   utter   despair.   "   this   is   really   pretty   by   the   way,   it'll   look   great   on   you.   "   they   pointed   at   a   necklace   in   salem's   ever   growing   pile.   though   their   tone   made   it   hard   to   believe,   luna   really   did   mean   it.   they   were   just   dramatic,   and   couldn't   muster   up   the   enthusiasm   for   the   words   because   her   soul   was   crushed.   "   how   much   longer   until   i   can   go   back   to   wallowing   ?   i   love   to   wallow   "

"it would be my proudest achievement to date actually." salem laughed before taking another sip of her coffee. she dramatically dropped her jaw as mallory spilled all the tea to her. clearly she had missed out on a lot. she loved how casual mallory was about everything. "you went on a public outing with a man? hell has to be frozen over right now." shaking her head in disbelief as she leaned back in her chair. "wait the guy was enzo? i'm sure that was interesting...but lets go back to the part where you said you actually kissed someone?" at this point her head was spinning at all the info being thrown at her. "anyone important? or at least worth writing about?" she asked curiously, mallory's love life was typically a mystery. salem playfully rolled her eyes at the others comment about being down bad, which she was. it may have been a little embarrassing but at least she could get some muse out of it right? "it's more wholesome if anything. maybe i'll start to like making music again if i'm not writing about men treating me like shit all the time anyways." she chuckled. "we should collab and make something fun. i honestly can't remember the last time we sang together which is kinda sad."

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡. ❝ AN INSTANT HEADLINER. You'd be forever known as the only woman who got the great Mallory Jade down on her knees. You'd wear that like a badge of honor wouldn't you. ❞ She mused, a teasing smile appearing on her lips. ❝ Yeah well…there's this bowling thing Drew set up. It was a double date thing and since I don't have a partner I invited a friend. A male one. Could you believe it? He then turns out to be Luna's ex-something. Had to pry that information out from him. But God, I cannot wait for mess. Oh and someone kissed me at the festival. ❞ Mal said it all so casually as she waved a dismissive hand. ❝ Honey? ❞ Her brow quirked upon hearing the title. ❝ Interesting title. 'Taste sweet like honey', is that it? ❞ She smirked, the innuendo not lost in her words. ❝ And writing a song about this girl right away? Baby, you are down bad. ❞ Mallory felt genuinely happy for Salem, noticing a glow about her and something different in her smile. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Salem. ❝ Ooohhh, say less babe! We could totally work something out and you know it's been a while since we sang together. ❞

"well paying for it wasn't really apart of the plan. i just figured i could like...subtly walk out with one you know?" it was technically stealing but salem saw it as rescuing a stray animal. "i'm gonna be honest but i don't even know where the owner is. you notice how empty it is in here? they probably wouldn't even realize if i took one." salem teased while rubbing the chin of a grey tabby that jumped into her lap. "let me buy you a coffee first and we can discuss theft afterwards. its the least i could do for dragging you along."

without a beat, her infamous catchphrase comes out as soon as she hears salem. "why not? i mean if you pay for it, that shouldn't be a problem, no?" jackie has no idea if any of these cats are for purchase, but she believes when there's a will there's a way, and if not, she's pretty sure they could work something out. "i guess you can talk to the owner about it or something," she suggests, a playful smile toying on her lips when an idea suddenly pops into her head. "or don't. it's not like you can get arrested for stealing a cat," then a pause. "can you?" she's unsure. well, now that the realization begins to hit her, maybe they should just abort that mission. "you did say you want to pay for it. i think that works."

it was the perfect night to be at club divine. between the place being packed out and the guest dj this had been one of the best nights in a while. salem met up with a couple of people at the club in vip and did some mingling amongst the busy crowd once she got bored of that. moving her way through the dance floor to the bar was a mission in itself, one too many drinks starting to get the best of her. a sigh of relief fell from her lips when she finally made it through. as salem waited patiently for the bartender to get to her the stranger a couple feet away caught her attention. "rum and coke please?" she said loudly over the blaring music while moving closer to the other. god knows she didn't need another drink but she was determined to let loose tonight. the face wasn't a familiar one and salem wondered if he was new to the area. it was a hard for her to believe she'd been here as long as she had been. "pretty good actually, i met up with a bunch of people here and they ended up meeting with other people so i guess you can say they kinda ditched me in a sense. or maybe i ditched them." she paused for a moment upon realizing she was rambling to a complete stranger. "but what about yours? are you here alone?"

Starter: Open [4 cap] @valpostart Location: Club Divine

The entire plan of moving him early to Chile had been his father’s and for once in his entire life Gael could not have agreed more. The moment he found out how far from home he’s be hr jumped at the opportunity. Went as far as looking into hotels and car dealerships himself to get everything situated before making the move. He didn’t pack his own clothing, or move it himself but that’s what employees were for. After years and years of doing shit himself he was more than happy to pass the boring stuff off to someone else. He was doing them a favor if he really thought about it, it wasn’t like their pay wouldn’t show out a smile on their face in the end.

He had originally wanted to reserve the VIP room but figured perhaps if he met a group of interesting enough people to take back there then he’d go for it. For the time being he enjoyed all that the club had to offer from the bar. The night was still young, and he had heard of some great amenities about that particular place.

Gael found himself moving between the dance floor and the bar, having one of the best night’s he’s had in a long time. No work to stress over for months to come, no sister, and most important no father to ruin his mood. “Can I get an amaretto sour.” He called out to the bartender as he reached the bar then glanced to the side at the person sitting, “And whatever they’re having. On me.” Gael turned his body towards the crowd and rested his back against the bar. “How’s your night coming along?”

the reaction didn't surprise her but salem couldn't help but laugh at her response. "milani stop!" she said before playfully rolling her eyes. "not too much okay? he's actually great. i'm just starting to feel like he may be better off without me and my bullshit." salem didn't have the best track record with men, her last relationship was an absolute dumpster fire. traumatizing would be an understatement. "this is going to disgust you but i'm actually so in love with him it makes me want to run away from him you know?" it sounded crazy but it was the truth. she flashed milani a smile at her compliment, "you're sweet. i'm not even sure if i'm in the place to hook up with anyone truthfully but it may be nice to meet some new people while im here."

               those   were   always   such   great   words   to   start   a   conversation.   milani   wished   she   was   sitting   in   a   swivel   chair   so   that   her   turn   towards   salem   had   a   much   more   ominous   affect.   she   settled   for   clutching   her   luke   warm   cup   of   coffee   up   to   her   chest   as   she   watched   salem.   milani   didn't   even   need   to   hear   the   rest   of   the   question   to   give   out   her   very   sound,   thought   out,   and   unbiased   opinion:   "   HELL   yes.   "   there   was   plenty   of   emphasis   on   the   hell.   "   are   you   joking   ?   easiest   answer   i   ever   could've   given.   i   never   understood   what   you   saw   in   him.   or   why.   just   know   that   you   should   get   out   while   you   can.   "   she   concluded,   eyeing   the   dress.   "   honestly   ?   you   could   walk   into   divine   in   a   trash   bag   and   hooves   and   still   get   attention   with   a   face   card   like   yours.   "   milani   said,   playfully   taking   salem's   chin   between   her   thumb   and   index   finger   for   a   brief   moment.   "   but   i   would   go   for   something   shorter   and   boobier.   "

Carrie Fisher, from The Princess Diarist.

salem let out a quiet chuckle wishing that were true but honestly she was very fucked up. she'd been dealing with her mental illness since she was was fifteen, among other things she never really talked about. life for her would always be a constant battle mentally and emotionally. she looked up at leon with tears in her eyes as he spoke. they both loved each other, that much was apparent but she hated knowing just how much she hurt him. "and i love you leon but it's just-" she let out a sigh before continuing. "sometimes i feel like you'd be better off with someone who's more stable. i try really hard to make sure whatever problems i have don't spill over into our relationship and i hate that i make you feel so pathetic when things get like this." she knew what she was about to say next would probably definitely be harsh words to hear but it was the truth. "i can't promise that we'll get back together right now and everything going forward will be easy. that i won't get in my head again and do this to you a third time..." she fidgeted with one of her rings trying to distract herself from the small wave of anxiety that was coming over her. this conversation was too uncomfortable and she wasn't the best with confrontation. she hated knowing that anyone had ill feelings towards her or that she was able to hurt anyone to that capacity, especially leon who'd been the absolute best to her even before they were dating.

leon sighs. there's so much sadness in his eyes. "you're not fucked up, sal." he empathizes with her because he knows the feeling so well. that feeling of being a mess and not knowing why or how to explain it. he feels bad. he doesn't want to be angry at her, but she really hurt him. is he supposed to act like everything's fine? "i... i fucking love you," he looks into her eyes. "i fucking love you so much that every time you leave i-" he chokes up a bit. "i feel pathetic, you know? i feel pathetic and i do fucked up shit, too. i don't know how to deal with it." leon feels so ashamed that he fucked kala right after salem dumped him over the phone. who is he to judge her? "i love you. but you can't keep doing this to me. you need to talk to me, too. before everything blows up." he wants to forgive her so badly. reset and repeat. erase and rewind.

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? “

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.

she chuckles at the knight and shining armor comment. salem's not really sure how to act around birdie now. typically she'd try to play it cool and be flirty but subtle about it but she would be lying if she said she wasn't already pretty down bad for the other. "well --i'll just tell her buying it was my lame attempt at trying to spend more time with her cousin. she can't be disappointed in that." she replied with a smirk before scanning over the selection of plants. "you mean the swiss cheese plant? a monstera would actually be perfect for you." she took a moment to glance over at the other before quickly looking back at the plants. "it's super easy to care for plus with my help there isn't any possible way you could really murder it. since i'll be over to water it and stuff you'll have like maybe twenty-percent responsibility." try to relax salem she thought to herself. soemthing had to be done to break the awkward tension between the two.

                ꒰ა   ♡  ໒꒱  --—  ‘  if  it’s  for  you  ‘  rings  in  birdie’s  ears  and  they  feel  like  hiding  behind  the  huge  pot  in  front  of  them.  their  face  heats  up,  right  up  to  their  ears,  and  for  a  second  they’re  grateful  salem  can’t  really  tell.  “  awww,  for  me  ?  my  knight  in  shining  armor.  —  nah,  it’s  fine,  avivas  not  that  scary  when  she’s  mad.  more  like,  kind  of  hurtful  because  you  can  tell  she’s  disappointed  and  exasperated,  you  know  ?  “  they’re  rambling  a  bit,  which  is  normal,  but  —  well,  she’s  overthinking  everything  she’s  doing  right  now.  they’re  not  used  to  being  so  nervous  around  salem,  but  it  may  be  their  new  normal.  hands  on  her  hips  she  nods,  scanning  the  plants  in  front  of  them,  “  we  could  get  a  palm  tree  —  no,  too  big.  not  an  inside  plant.  want  one  of  the  huge  monsteras  ?  “  much  better.