Salem Wasn't Sure What Hiyori Meant When She Asked If She'd Be Open To An Adventure In The Woods But

"okay, we can talk about it tomorrow." she said quietly while quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. salem watched leon as he walked out of the living room before shutting the light off. her mind was racing for what felt like hours. she couldn't sleep and for some weird reason, maybe out of habit, found herself knocking on the bedroom door. "can i come lay with you?" she asked after peaking her head in the door. leon was half asleep and told her to come in. salem crawled into bed with him and cuddled up against him. it was comforting to be this close to him again and all she wanted was for things to go back to normal. "im so sorry for how much i've hurt you." she wasn't sure if he was awake or not but she needed to get it off her chest. "i don't want things to end and how much i love you actually terrifies me. but i don't know how to be the person you deserve..." she turned to him and realized he was sound asleep. salem ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead gently. she turned back around to cuddle against him before eventually falling asleep.

when morning rolled around salem was woken up by the sunlight peaking through the curtains. she looked around the room and then over to leon who was still sleeping. her hangover was raging and the thought of the inevitable talk they were supposed to have made her stomach turn. she got up out of bed and quietly tiptoed out of the bedroom slowly closing the door. leaving this way probably wasn't the best decision but she felt like there wasn't much left for her to say anyways and she truly was tired of hurting him and that's what the end result would be anyways. so she grabbed her shoes and her bag and left the apartment.

this is too much. he hates seeing her so heartbroken. absolutely destroys him. but at the end of the day, he really can't be just a punching bag. he has a lot to think about. "i can't do this right now," he looks down at her with tears bubbling in his eyes. the fact that she can't promise not to break his heart again, it kills him. and he wants to trust her. they both bring so much baggage into this relationship. but he sees himself in her, and it really feels like she's the only one who understands him. the only one for him. she's his soulmate. "i'm going to bed," the man says. he presses one hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her in somehow. "the bathroom's that way and the kitchen's stocked. we'll continue this tomorrow, okay?" it fucking hurts to pull his hand away, and it hurts even more to leave her in the living room as he goes to the master bedroom. he just wants to hold her, fuck her, make her feel good and trust her to not fuck him up again. is that really possible? leon takes off his shirt and climbs into bed with just sweatpants. he scrolls through his phone for a few minutes, but he can't concentrate on anything. so, he switches off the light of the lamp on his nightstand and tries to sleep.

Is that KIANA LEDE ? Oh, no, that’s SALEM WEST, a TWENTY EIGHT year old MUSICIAN who uses SHE/HER pronouns. They currently live in VIÑA DEL MAR, and the character they identify with most is MISTY DAY from AHS:COVEN. Hopefully they find their own little paradise here in el país de los poetas!

hi angels i'm mar and this is my baby salem!! i can't wait to write with all of you <3 ~pinterest for the vibes~

about.

꒰  ♡  ꒱ salem west was born and bred in new orleans, louisiana on june 5th 1995 to gwen and thomas west . gwen and tommy met in the mid 90’s, tommy being the frontman of one of the biggest bands in the world "The Aces" and gwen being one of the top supermodels of the 90’s. the two eloped quickly in a small ceremony after only being together for about four months while traveling to vegas and have been together ever since. being the only child of a supermodel and rockstar gave salem the privilege to grow up around music and fashion with a deep appreciation of the two. in 2006 during the golden age of reality tv gwen and tommy signed on for a reality show called "gwen and tommy" which would go on for about 8 years before ending. the show highlighted every part of their lives, including the lows, which forced salem to grow up on tv and under a microscope susceptible to the public's scrutiny. eventually, being on television had a negative effect on her and her insecurities got the best of her which would lead her to struggle with various issues going forward.   ꒰  ♡  ꒱ spending most of her time between new york and new orleans salem didn't really grow up with a stable home life. her parents didn't believe a nanny should raise their daughter so she often traveled with them for work between cities, new york being their main place of residence during the summers. when she got older she became responsible for raising herself and in that time she fell in love with new york. she loved the art, the culture, the freedom--- often finding ways to create her own safe space without the cameras with friends who understood the pressures of growing up with famous relatives. she finished school relatively early due to homeschooling. by the time she was 16 she graduated and spent her free time learning how to play various instruments and attending fashion events with her mom. but the fashion world never really stuck for her.  ꒰  ♡  ꒱ when her 18th birthday rolled around salem started spending more time with her father and his band on tour. she loved the behind the scenes aspect of everything, including being in the studio where she realized she wanted to dabble in singing and song writing. she got into some trouble, flirted with a roadie or two, partied with locals in various cities and even started secretly dating a crew member on the tour. she didn't realize at the time how toxic and manipulative the relationship was, besides him being significantly older he often fed on her insecurities which would lead to her inevitably ending things after a year. she dove into songwriting as an outlet for her feelings and soon after discovered she had an amazing singing voice and a natural talent to play piano. tommy pushed her to pursue a career in music, they often fought about her lack of motivation to build a career out of it. salem wanted to just have fun and experiment in different ventures while tommy was focused on making her his protégé. she ended up releasing an album when she turned 21 and made a name for herself in the industry. she toured around for 2 years and released an ep during that time and some smaller shows for another year before deciding she inevitably needed a break before starting her second album.

*salem originally was supposed to arrive in valpo for some much needed time off to spend with her (now ex) boyfriend leon. after ending things with him over the phone she realized she made a huge mistake and decided to come to valpo anyways to hopefully patch things up and maybe meet some new people along the way too.

random facts.

she has a black cat named stevie (yes after stevie nicks duh) (yes she bought her cat with her)

shes like the witchy plant mom of the group

also very chaotic but in a fun way! she loves going out and partying bc why not! she's harmless tho i promise <3

loves giving back and is big on philanthropy, kinda guilty about how much money her family has tbh

was diagnosed bipolar at 15 (be nice to her pls)

really loves people but has very few close to friends due to people using her for their own gain

she's also queer and a gemini ( i gave her the same bday as angelina jolie bc nothing is real so! why not!)

wanted connections? literally anything she's new to town so we can figure something out just message me on discord!!!~

tldr; chaotic nepo baby who grew up on reality tv and is a musician lmao

"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."

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, what's your ideal first date? would you agree to a kiss by the end of it?

“i like to leave that up to whoever is asking me on a date but ideally it would be something super fun. i hate the pressure of first dates so the less stress the better. but if the person wanted to be extra that’s okay too i just hope both teams have fun. as far as a kiss i guess it depends on how well the date went but can’t i just kiss the person mid date if the vibe is right?”

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?"

salem had enough on her plate with her album release looming over her head slated for later this month. her talk with leon allowed her to get everything off her chest but she still was feeling really confused about it all. she hadn't seen him since that night at her place and though she appreciated him giving her the time she needed sort through things she missed him terribly. she'd been sending emails from her phone to her manager and label when she heard a familiar voice. "hey blondie." salem replied with a small smile. "you can sit if you want." gesturing toward the empty chair across from her. she took a sip of her latte and sent off the email she'd been focused on before setting her phone down on the table. "sorry, i'm dealing with all this album release stuff. originally i was just gonna drop it with no announcement or anything but they're telling me i should build anticipation on the internet about it." leaning back in her chair she shrugged a bit. "anyways, how are you?"

he didn't expect to see her as soon as he stepped back out of his godmother's place. well, he had done it before to buy groceries and shit, but he never ran into her. and now he's at a coffee shop in line when he turns around for whatever reason, and she's here. she's sitting on a table by herself and leon wonders if he should approach her. he's missed her terribly, but he knew he had to give her space to sort out her thoughts and feelings after everything he put her through. he wouldn't blame her if she still hates him and never wants to see him again. the man really hopes that scenario isn't true. after getting a tall americano, leon walks over to salem and clears his throat so she can look up and find him looking at her with a shy smile. "hi, sal." his voice is soft and his eyes are kind.

@cybermuses

"wait...you're serious?" salem whispered before looking around for a moment; there weren't any other people in sight so they technically could get away with it. would it be bad karma though? "i love the universe and it's creatures but a tarantula is completely out of the question." the suggestion quickly snapping her out of her deep thought. she chuckled as she watched drew struggle with the poor animal. "here, give it to me-" reaching for the cat she smiled while placing gentle pats along it's fur. "i see you didn't learn anything the whole month stevie was with luna. speaking of which, you think they'll be mad about us stealing it? what if we get caught and she has to bail us out of jail?" the potential consequences raced through her mind.

drew scoops up the cat with great effort, grimacing as the creature struggles and squirms within his awkward grasp. "open your bag," he instructs anyway. pets who couldn't be confined to a tank or a cage, shed often, made noise, emitted an odor, or all of the above were strictly forbidden by his mother, so he has little experience with wrangling common household animals. "excuse me," drew inevitably huffs as the cat continues fidgeting. "okay, are you sure that you don't want a tarantula instead ? i can recommended a few different species that are great to start out with," he offers, glancing anxiously at salem as the animal continues to wiggle around in his hands.

salem followed leon over to the couch and sat down with him. her nerves were getting the best of her, not being sure what he was going to say or what his reasoning was for leaving her the way he did gave her a bit of anxiety. she decided to let him speak first and state his reasons ( or excuses ) and she'd vent after the fact to him about what was on her mind. as he told her the story about what was going on with his family she nodded and listened, salem was always empathetic and understanding of the situation he'd been dealing with for a while. the details about everything broke her heart and knowing he was dealing with that much back home made her feel a little guilty about being so angry at him but there was still something that was bothering her. "i'm really sorry you had to deal with all of that alone and you had so much on your plate...." salem let out a sigh before continuing on. "...but like the issue wasn't about you leaving and me not coming with you. the issue was you not wanting to be long distance with me. i mean, you said you couldn't do it and you know i was so understanding about you having to go back home but like you said you didn't trust yourself? i need to know what you meant by that part. if it wasn't about you potentially cheating on me then what was it about?" the question had been eating at her for a couple weeks and truthfully it sounded like complete bullshit to her but she knew given their history the least she could do is give him the benefit of the doubt.

leon lets her talk, even if it breaks his heart. she's so right about everything, but he genuinely thought this was a good idea at the time. the man nods, twisting his lips, anxious as every word that leaves salem's mouth stab him in the chest. he feels so dumb. such a fucking idiot for thinking he knew what was best for the relationship without taking her into consideration. such an asshole. again. he knows he still has to grow up, but things take time. therapy takes time. he wishes he could fast-forward to the time of his life when he's happy with his girl. with a sigh, leon shakes his head almost imperceptibly before gathering the courage to be a good person to salem. "yeah, okay," the blond leads her to the couch to sit down. "i know i told you my grandma has alzheimer. and i knew i had to go back home to take care of her and mostly my mother, she and my grandma never had a healthy relationship, you know? she could be such a bitch to my mom, to be honest." sometimes context is needed to tell the whole story. some details are so damn personal that he hesitates to share them. but he does. "and well, you know how it is with my mom. i'd feel upset and she would yell at me. she wouldn't validate my feelings, at all. and everything started going smoothly between us when i moved out. i was so fucking afraid of what i could become going back there. i obviously didn't want to bring you because i didn't want you to freak out. so i flew back to seattle, my grandma was yelling all day and eating things she shouldn't because she also has diabetes, you know. so i had to keep an eye on her, and also on my mom because she was drinking a lot. like, almost two bottles of espumante every night." the words slide out of his tongue and his heart is beating faster and he's scared to keep going. but he does. "i really didn't want to put you through that. because of course i got depressed too. it was just a really toxic dynamic back there. and i really really didn't want to bring you into it."

"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.