Salem Shook Her Head And Chuckled At The Mention Of Avia. She Told Birdie Should Would Get Them Something

"i know! i've been such a hermit lately and i'm sure if my cat could talk she would yell at me to get out of the house." salem joked before shaking her head. "not really busy, just kind of trying to kill time and jot a few things down." she nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "i figured i should actually be around other people you know? if anything i was bound to run into someone i knew here and i was right!" she gave arin a small smile while closing the journal and moving it aside. "but anyways what are you up to today? how have you been?"

he's here playing errand boy. picking up ... something, for his mom. not entirely sure what, or what for — just that it's not ready yet and he's got some time to kill. he gets himself a cup of coffee and sits himself at a table near the edge of the room, ready to just waste time on his phone when he hears her speak. don't need to invite him twice. "long time no see," slide into the chair across from the one she's seated in, making an all too obvious show of peering at her book on his way. as if he has any real prayer of being able to read anyone's handwriting upside down like that. "busy? what are you working on?"

she playfully rolled her eyes at her friends response. salem couldn't comprehend anyone getting used to being in such unique place, even when she would go visit new orleans she always found something new to be in awe over. "if this is boring you we can do something else? seriously i'll sacrifice the rest of the day hear more of your dungeons and dragons lore." she teased with a playful nudge. "or i could find us a matching bracelet or necklace to solidify our friendship. with all this cool handmade jewelry there's bound to be something. unfortunately for you im cheesy like that."

             the  happy  amusement  on  birdie's  face  is  evident.  her  face  breaks  into  a  bright  smile  when  salem  speaks  to  her,  eyes  scanning  the  bags  she's  presented  with.  birdie  loves  to  see  people  excited  about  chile,  their  heart  bursting  at  the  thought  of  people  loving  their  home  as  much  as  they  do.  she  shakes  her  head,  accompanying  it  with  a  wave  of  the  hand,  "  nah,  be  as  tourist-y  as  you  want,  i  love  it  – i  am  excited  ! "  they  laugh,  "  i've  lived  here  forever ! i  don't  get  as  excited  as  i  did  when  it  was  all  new,  it  happens.  "

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

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.  " 

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.

status: closed for @acosmicdisappointment // mallory

"you know, in retrospect this probably wasn't the best idea." salem let out a small giggle before finishing off her fourth cocktail from one of the food trucks. when mallory suggested a pre-show pregame salem agreed without hesitation. now the two were drunk, or at least salem was, an hour before mallory's set. "we can either keep going or we can stop and try to sober up before you go on. either way im happy, i just need to be a little coherent for leon's set at least." she teased before pulling her phone out to check a text. "by the way, i am kinda pissed you aren't performing tummy hurts."

salem nervously stepped inside and took a look around. something about the apartment felt like home. she remembered leon showing her pictures when they originally planned to be here together. the spot in the living area where stevie would sleep and the beautiful balcony they could sit on and work on music together. they should be here together but that was before she made a mess of things. "i know..." she responded quietly. he had a point and between the last time and now it was like deja vu. salem wasn't sure why she put put him through this a second time. she made her way over to the couch to sit after taking her shoes off. leon reemerged from the kitchen with a glass of water, he was quiet and she could tell he was visibly upset by her just showing up out of the blue and completely intoxicated. "thanks." she said with a small smile before taking a sip. "listen, i know i should have maybe called or texted you first but i didn't know if you'd pick up and i just really needed to see you." she looked down at the glass of water and zoned out for a bit unsure what to say next. there was no real explanation other than salem and her usual bullshit, that much she was aware of. "honestly i've been here for like a week now and i've been trying to figure out what to say to you but nothing really seemed right."

he's still shocked to see the woman he loves in front of him. she's trashed, that much is obvious, and he feels bad. "come in," he says with a sigh and a pinch of his nose. why does she keep doing this? first, after she ghosted him for a week, she showed up at one of his gigs, drunk. and now this? "shit's getting old, sal," the blond mutters under his breath, even though he doesn't really mean it. something about the uncertainty of their relationship, it makes him feel things more deeply. he hates her and then loves her and then hates her again. leon walks into the kitchen and pours a glass of water for her. what is he gonna do? he can't yell at her now, can he? he doesn't even want to do that. he doesn't know what he wants to do. everything's a mess and he wishes he could flash forward to the part of the relationship when everything's okay again. when he can hold her without the fear of her abandoning him again. the man doesn't notice the water overflowing from the glass and pouring onto his hand and the counter. "fuck," he whispers.

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. "

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?"