The Party Is Crowded And Salem Is Hoping Leon Doesn't Make A Huge Scene In Front Of Everyone Else. She

"yeah, you are an asshole actually." salem replied, only half serious. she looked down at their hands as he grabbed hers and listened to him speak. his reasoning made sense, sort of...but she knew how bad his mental health could get and had seem him through bad times in the past. she couldn't really understand why this time would be any different. "well you hurt me anyways so..." her voice trailing off for a moment before continuing. "we've been through so much. i know you believe that you were sparing me a lot of pain by ending things but you did the opposite. i felt like shit about myself when you left me and i was in a really horrible place. i guess i just figured after everything we'd been through we truly could get through anything. i would have seen it through with everything you dealt with but you really didn't give us a chance to at least try." she started getting emotional as she spoke, there was so much hurt coming to the surface from the past couple of months. could she really just forget about all of that and move forward with him? salem was a little surprised when he said he hadn't slept with anyone else while they were apart --unfortunately she couldn't say the same but that was another conversation for another time. "i believe you when you say that." her eyes met his when he cupped her face in his hands. leon looked so defeated from it all it broke her heart. if anything she was more upset that he didn't let her be there for him. "that wasn't your decision to make for me though. i get you didn't want me to feel trapped or whatever but it wasn't fair of you to decide that for me. i would have stuck around, we could have worked it out somehow." letting out a sigh she pulled back as his thumbs grazed her cheek. she missed him terribly and felt way too vulnerable in this moment to his affection. "I love you and i'm sorry you were having such a hard time, i really am but...." her nerves starting to get the best of her. "i'm just tired of breaking up and i really need to think about things. we're gonna go through plenty other hard times and we'll be apart for long periods of time with the both of us being musicians and i wanna feel secure with you but i don't right now."

leon nods his head, everything she's saying is totally valid right now. "yeah, i'm an asshole," he sighs with the littlest nervous grin. the only thing keeping him together right now is knowing that he really did have the best intentions and it was all a miscommunication problem. "listen, sal," the blond runs a hand through his hair before getting a hold of her own hands. they're cold and he hates it, it hurts. "what i meant was that i didn't trust myself, or my mental health, not to hurt you, you know? exhibit a," he shrugs his shoulders, hoping she would understand. "imagine how shitty i would've made you feel if we kept in touch while i was dealing with all of that. i didn't trust myself enough to be an adult and not lash out at you if i was feeling particularly stressed or depressed one day. i never, ever," he emphasizes the word and holds her hand tightly so she can feel how sorry he is, "meant to hurt you. i never meant to make you feel like i wanted to, i don't know, fuck someone else because my dick thinks on its own. i didn't, alright? i didn't fuck anyone else. i need you to believe me, sal. please." leon makes a bold decision and runs his hand up to cup her face. "and i honestly didn't think she would've died so soon. i've heard stories about people with alzheimer that live on for more than five, ten years. and i didn't want you to feel trapped in that. you don't deserve that." his voice shakes, he needs her to know where he's coming from and how sorry he is. "i really do apologize. it's no excuse but i guess the fear of you leaving me because i turned into such a stranger, a cruel one, would be too much. maybe it's one of those rip-the-bandaid things before you'd do it for me. i guess i would've rather hurt you first so you didn't have to put with my shit. i know it's not... it's not fair and it maybe doesn't make much sense to you right now, but sal," he looks into her eyes and grazes the pad of his thumbs along her cheekbones. so fucking pretty. "i swear you would've hated my guts. i wasn't my best self. i'm only my best self, or i try to be, when i'm with you." leon falls silent for a few seconds. "i'm sorry i didn't trust myself enough to do it alone. i love you. i understand if you don't wanna see me again. i just needed you to know everything"

to say salem was surprised when rohan offered to give her a ride from the airport would be an understatement. the two weren’t exactly best friends ( and the thought that they were becoming friends made her shudder a bit ) but salem had a theory that he was trying to worm his way into getting one of those vintage guitars they spoke of. with her bags in hand she made her way to the pick up area and eyed rohan with his book in hand. “pretending to read at the airport to pick up girls is wild.” she said while approaching the other. the two didn’t really know how to have a normal conversation that didn’t invole insulting one another. salem rolled her eyes at his comment as she placed her bags down next to her. maybe taking an uber would have been a better idea. “i don’t always look judgemental, you just do a really great job at irritating me. you think your face was the first one i wanted to see after a ten hour flight?” she replied matter of factly as she made her way to the backseat window to quickly peak in at stevie who she missed terribly. “be gentle with my luggage, it costs more than your little boat by the way.” her hand gensturing towards the bags while turning back to face rohan. 

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closed  starter  for  SALEM  (  @cybermuses  ) location  :  airport  ?  ✈️

-ˋˏ ‏‏‎ ‎꒰ ‏‏‎ ‎🐚 ‏‏‎ ‎꒱‏‏‎ ‎ ──‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎the  sound  of  luggage  wheels  on  the  pavement  causes  rohan  to  look  up  from  where  he's  leaning  against  his  truck,  and  almost  immediately  he  snaps  the  worn  paperback  in  his  hands  shut,  tucking  it  under  his  arm.  he's  not  a  bad  person,  see.  rohan's  world  runs  on  favours  ;  he  might  have  sworn  off  the  idea  of  personal  friendships,  but  favours  ?  he  could  argue  to  himself  that  favours  were  simply  an  investment  in  good  will  because  he  might  need  to  cash  them  in  one  day──‏‏‎   even  if  he  had  to  be  delusional  to  think  that  it  wasn't  obvious  he  had developed something bordering on friendship with the woman  who  had,  if  you  asked  him,  kidnapped  his  cat  into  forced  marriage.  "  sorry,  i'm  not  doing  charity  work  ;  the  taxis  are  over  there,  "  he  informs  her  playfully  (  or,  as  playful  as  rohan  can  get  )  gesturing  her  away.  it's  the  closest  to  a  real  greeting  salem  is  going  to  get,  even  if  he  was  the  one  to  offer  to  pick  her  up  in  the  first  place.  "  i'm  waiting  for  someone.  you  might  have  seen  her  ?  about  this  tall──‏‏‎   "  he  holds  his  palm  flat  in  the  air  in  front  of  him,  "  ──‏‏‎ curly  hair,  always  has  this  look  on  her  face  like  she's  judging  you.  .  .  ?  her  cat  is  in  my  car  and,  much  like  her,  has  an  attitude  problem.  "

closed- for @hntedhouse // drew location - casa dragones

"so like, every time i play can i keep being these cute ethereal elf characters? or do i have to switch out every once in a while? i saw in a reddit thread that using the same character in different campaigns is obnoxious ." salem was virtually clueless when it came to d&d. she'd been dabbling in it only for a short while but she was already having a hard time keeping up with everything, luckily for her that's where drew and birdie came in to help. "you and birdie are like my guru's when it comes to this. i'm trusting you not to make me look like a complete idiot when i'm officially ready to do my first campaign." she said with a laugh.

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?”

salem didn't know the person throwing the party too well but the invite was extended after meeting a couple nights ago at one of the local bars. she didn't think about this person possibly knowing her ex or him being in attendance either, that was the first mistake she made that night. she'd been drinking and mingling throughout the night with strangers trying her best to take advantage of being in a new place. most of her time in valpo so far consisted of meeting new people and doing things she normally didn't get a chance to do. she started chatting with this guy about music and the two were seemingly hitting it off until a familiar voice interrupted the conversation. unsurprisingly it was leon and he was pissed. "fantastic." she said sarcastically while the other walked off leaving the two alone. "well, i was flirting with that guy and trying to have a conversation. please don't make me hire security in a completely different country."

house parties. house parties are great when you're trying to forget about the girl who keeps breaking your heart. and so leon took a shower, put on his black pants and tight tank top and left the apartment to go party at one of those houses up in the hills. it was all fine, he was a little drunk and a little high and he was honestly having a good time. but then, he saw her. he tried to avoid her, and it worked for a while. and now that he goes outside for a cigarette, leon sees salem all over some other guy he doesn't know. just flirting and laughing. this makes him so mad. "excuse me," he says as he approaches the pair. his stare is so apparently intimidating that the other guy leaves. "what are you doing?" he asks salem.

@cybermuses

♡ kiana ledé via tiktok ( kianalede )

salem shook her head and chuckled at the mention of avia. she told birdie should would get them something big and here the two were eyeing a large monstera plant. she wondered for a second how birdie's cousin would react to them bringing home such a large plant after essentially banning the other from owning one again. "i kinda feel like i'm setting myself up to get in trouble with aviva but i can take the heat if it's for you i suppose." she nervously glanced over to birdie for a moment. they were on their date that wasn't a date (truthfully neither of them could tell you what exactly it was) but she was trying her best to be normal about it. just two friends shopping for a plant. "it's nice but if we're going to potentially piss your cousin off we should at least go bigger."

closed / @cybermuses location / plantas altas

          ꒰ა  ♡  ໒꒱  --— "  okay,  so  –  aviva did say  no  more  live  plants,  but  it's  fine ! i  think  if  i  use  the  defense  that  you'll  be  over  to  check  up  on  them,  she'll  be  more  open  to  it.  "  birdie  says  it  with  a  grin,  eyes  scanning  the  monsteras  in  front  of  her.  they  very  pointedly  aren't  looking  at  salem  –  she  might  puke  from  nerves  if  she  does,  too  distracted  by  the  fact  that  salem  looks very  pretty  today.  does  she  always  look  that  pretty  ?  of  course  she  does,  birdie  just  never  really  let  herself  think  about  that  before  all  ...  this happened,  "  what  do  you  think  ?  it'll  be  your  kid,  too,  you  get  input.  " 

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?"

"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.

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   ?   "