"yeah, You Are An Asshole Actually." Salem Replied, Only Half Serious. She Looked Down At Their Hands

"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. ❞

closed - for @divinctions // milani location - secondhand style

"i need you to be honest with me about two things." salem said while picking up a vintage dress off the clothing rack. she needed advice on what to do with her situation with leon and knew if anyone would be straight forward about it milani would. she was blunt in a way that most people typically weren't with salem and she loved that about her. "first off, should i just say fuck it and completely be done with leon?" the subject made her head spin but she knew if anyone would get her together about it milani being the proud misandrist she is would. "also, if i were on the rebound would this dress be slutty enough to get the attention of a cute girl at club divine?"

Kate Chopin, from The Awakening

salem did well at adjusting to life in valpo post break up with leon. she had a solid group of friends and routine at home, with stevie, that she'd grown to look forward to and truthfully it was the stability she desperately craved. running into leon in la was completely unexpected and when she learned he was returning as well being back home in valpo had her stomach in knots. they both had a lot to say that couldn't be done over text and salem felt like she was at least owed a conversation about why things ended the way they had between them. after biting the bullet and finally sending leon a text about bringing her food (she had to find a way to break the ice right?) she waited anxiously for his arrival. she heard a knock at her door and couldn't help but smile upon answering when she saw leon standing there not only with the food but her favorite flowers as well. "that was fast." she teased as he proceeded to step inside. salem shut the door behind him and walked into the kitchen. she instantly felt deja vu from it all. "the flowers are nice, thank you by the way." she said nervously while retrieving a vase for the sunflowers. "so, how have things been for you since coming back?"

on his way to valpo, leon had a night layover in la. he went to a bar and bumped into salem there. of course she looked gorgeous, like usual. and after they fucked, the man had to leave in a rush to make his flight. running out of money back home was a huge deal he was dealing with, he couldn't afford another flight. he felt shitty, because he really wanted to talk to salem -explain why he had bolted the way he did- but the craving and addiction was pretty much there still. it never leaves him. it follows him around like a lustful shadow that activates the moment he sees her beautiful brown eyes. that tantalizing smile. and now they're both here. and he's on his way to her place, a place he called a shithole and doesn't even know why. it's not even that bad, maybe he thought he was being funny, but it definitely went all the way left. the uber stops in front of salem's place and leon takes a deep breath. okay. it'll be okay. so much needs to be said. he's nervous with the bag of veggie quesadillas in one hand, and a sunflower bouquet in the other. after thanking the driver, the blond gets out of the car and rings his ex's doorbell. he fidgets in place. after a few moments, the door swings open and he does his best to put on a smile that reads kindness and sorry at the same time. "aye."

@cybermuses

"you can never have too many crops! i practically live in them when the weather is warmer plus you can make them work with almost anything." salem nodded in agreement. it was typically the most normal day to day things like a shopping trip with a friend that made her feel content. though she was slightly distracted from her own personal relationship drama she truly was enjoying astrids company. "a crop top with low rise jeans and a faux fur coat is very it girl of you...look at you turning into an insta baddie on me!" she let out a giggle at the thought. "actually, i think it's criminal we have to do brat summer in the freezing cold but props to you for keeping it alive." salem could feel astrid's slight judgement from the sweaters but she couldn't blame her. truthfully she needed to put something slutty on and hit the club. "it's just leon he'll be fine." she replied dismissively before changing the subject. "this is more important anyways. i should ditch the sweaters shouldn't i?"

                 ⋆.˚ ❝  ok…  on-trend  is  always  a  plus..  i  don’t  know..  i’m  already  pretty  fond  of  crops  —  my  ass  does  look  great  though.  ❞  she  trusts  salem’s  taste,  it  was  impossible  not  to  when  the  woman  looked  and  dressed  as  well  as  she  did.  with  one  that  spent  most  time  prioritizing  comfort  over  necessarily  looking  her  best  these  trips  always  felt  just  a  bit  wasted  on  astrid  but  she  did  love  finding  club  outfits  that  toed  the  line  of  being  just  a  bit  too  much.  was  this  so  different?  it  was  just  a  little  brighter  out.  ❝  y’know  what  !  screw  it.  i’m  getting  these  jeans  if  nothing  else  these  would  kill  at  the  club.  a  faux  fur  coat…  i  just  got  this  new  crop  that’s  practically  a  bra  at  this  point…  i’ve  been  streaming  365.  whatever  !  ❞  she  tosses  a  shrug  at  salem,  grabbing  the  additional  pants  hanging  in  the  changing  room  and  shuffling  out  as  she  riffled  through  the  clothes  she’d  already  tried  on  —  picking  among  the  tops  she  was  surely  going  to  keep;  her  eyes  falling  on  salem’s  collection.  ❝  ok  your  turn  !  what  are  we  looking  at…  are  those  all  sweaters  ?  and  please  feel  free  to  pick  up,  well  unless  it  was  a  scammer  i  guess.  ❞ ─ ✶⋆.˚

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.

closed- for @bvlladonnas // esme location - los fantasmas

"if i ask you to make me the strongest drink you guys have here you promise not to ask any questions right?" salem said a bit stressed as she sat down at the bar. she was relieved to see esme was working tonight, spilling her guts to locals would probably be a new low for her. "i did something kinda bad to leon...again." regretfully that was becoming a reoccurring theme in her life. "does it count as ghosting if you just leave early in the morning without saying goodbye? or am i really just a horrible person? i'm the worst aren't i?" she let out a groan before resting her head on her arms.

IN CHARACTER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS .

send an emoji/series of emojis for my muse to answer any of the following questions in character! for some questions, there are fields italicized and bolded for you to fill in with the name of a person/place/event/etc in the muse's life. please remember to fill in these spaces in order for the question to make sense! each emoji is described in case you can't see them, and they are listed alphabetically. ♡

✈️ AIRPLANE — have you traveled anywhere that helped you discover something about yourself and/or about the world?

😠 ANGRY FACE — how easy or difficult is it for you to express your emotions? if you find it difficult, what do you think is holding you back?

🎨 ARTIST PALETTE — what are some hobbies that you like to partake in? do you think they're just to pass time or to distract yourself, or do you believe some of them potentially have therapeutic outcomes for you?

🎈 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?

🌙 CRESCENT MOON — what would you say is your current biggest dream and/or career aspiration and why?

❌ CROSS MARK — how would your life be different if [name of person] had never been in it? would it be better or worse?

⚔️ CROSSED SWORDS — do you have any skills that you are absolutely grateful you have and that mean a lot to you? how do you usually use these skills? would they come in handy if someone you cared about was in trouble?

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

🗡️ DAGGER — what is something or someone you know you can't afford to lose? how far are you willing to go to make sure you don't lose it/them?

💧 DROPLET — are you grieving something or someone? do you feel like you lost something or a part of yourself with it/them?

😶‍🌫️ FACE IN CLOUDS — is there something you're hiding from the people you love? if so, how urgent is it for them to hear it? what's holding you back from sharing it?

🍂 FALLEN LEAVES — how would you metaphorically describe your life and the journey(s) you've been on?

👻 GHOST — is there someone or something that you feel is missing from your life? do you know if there's any way to find it/them?

🩶 GRAY HEART — what kind of friend do your friends consider you to be (mom friend, uncle friend, funny friend, etc) and why? what do you think this says about your personality?

🤝 HANDSHAKE — do family or platonic relationships mean more to you? or do they mean different things to you?

❤️‍🔥 HEART ON FIRE — what angers you the most? what triggers this anger, and how do you cope with it? what does this anger feel like, if you had to describe it?

💋 KISS MARK — if you had to share a romantic kiss with a loved one, where would you share that kiss and why? are you thinking about giving this romantic kiss somewhere other than the other person's lips?

✝️ LATIN CROSS — are you a religious person? did you grow up religious? does your faith mean anything to you today?

🩵 LIGHT BLUE HEART — what do you fantasize about the most often (generally/sexually/etc)? are there any people that are significant to or that you can see in this fantasy and why?

⚡️ LIGHTNING BOLT — how has [significant event in muse's life] impacted you? what has it made you realize about yourself? about others? about the world?

💄 LIPSTICK — have you had any romantic or sexual experiences that made you realize something about yourself?

🪄 MAGIC WAND — would you describe yourself as a superstitious person (someone who believes in superstitions)? do you believe in luck?

❤️‍🩹 MENDING HEART — how strongly do you experience your emotions? does it depend on who you're interacting with and/or the context of the situation?

🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what song lyrics do you think most accurately describe you? your journey through life? who you are as a person?

🫂 PEOPLE HUGGING — generally speaking, do you feel very supported by the people in your life? how strong and cohesive is your support system, if you have one? do you often feel like you're at the front of the line or pushed to the side by the people in your life?

❤️ RED HEART — what is/are your love language(s)? how do you use it/them to communicate your feelings about others?

💞 REVOLVING HEARTS — who and/or what are you most grateful for in your life?

🎀 RIBBON BOW — how confident are you with your physical appearance? is there anything about it that you are insecure about? is there anything about it that you are happy about or gives you confidence? how do you think people perceive you based on your physical appearance?

🧪 TEST TUBE — if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what is one thing you absolutely have to resolve and/or do before then?

🤔 THINKING FACE — what three emotions tend to dominate your mindset? do you know why they do?

💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — is there something or someone you find yourself thinking about more often than other things? if so, why do you think you do this?

💀 SKULL — how has [name of person] 's death influenced your outlook on life, if anything?

☀️ SUN — would you describe yourself as more of an introvert or extrovert, or are you somewhere in between? how come?

🪽 WING — if you could choose to have one superpower for a day, what would it be and why? what would you do with it?

✍️ WRITING HAND — what is one thing you wish you were better at? this can be a tactical skill, social skill, hobby, etc.

the thought of everclear made salem shudder a bit in disgust. "everclear? is that even legal to serve inside a bar to actual living people?" she said with confusion before shrugging. truthfully she'd take anything at this point. "i trust whatever concoction you come up with. i just need to not feel how i'm feeling right now which is a lot of guilt and a just a little bit of shame." she wasn't proud at leaving the way she did that morning but she was a little embarrassed that she had to get absolutely wasted to talk to him. salem listened to esme and nodded. she was right at it being different considering leon was her ex-whater. "i have no idea what i'm going to do about it.." pausing for a moment before taking the drink from esme. "but i do think it'll be smart to stay far far away from him until i figure it out right?"

             oh,  okay,  they're  starting  off  strong  today. esme  blinks  for  a  moment  before  nodding,  turning  to  look  at  the  various  bottles  of  alcohol  behind  her  and  cringing  a  bit,  "  i  could  give  you  just  straight  everclear,  but  i  would  think  you'd  want  to  ...  enjoy  it,  no ? "  an  everclear  cocktail  sounds  disgusting,  so  esme  decides  she'll  put  some  flavored  moonshine  in  something  pretty  and  get  salem  fucked  up  the respectable way.  her  eyebrows  raise  a  bit  at  the  start,  though  by  the  end  of  salem's  sentence  she's  shrugging,  "  i  mean  –  no ? i  don't  stay  longer  than,  like,  seven  am  with  any  hookup  i  have.  that's  weird.  "  a  pause.  she  shouldn't  be  the  pinnacle  of  advice  for  this,  "  it  ... might be  different  when  it's  your  ex-boyfriend-it's-complicated-weird-thing,  though.  what're  you  gonna  do  about  it ? "

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."

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏────────────────────

-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.  "