KIANA LEDÉ Via Tiktok . ( ♡︎ )

"stop saying sorry! i was only kidding. plus the ceramic flamingo wasn't that important, i just thought it would be kinda camp in my bohemian setting you know?" she said before playfully nudging the other. "we can get everything if you want. the bracelet's would be cute with the matching crystals. i'll even wear your blood in a necklace if you really wanna get weird with it." salem was glad birdie shared her enthusiasm about something most people would probably find cheesy at their age. as the two approached the table salem was in awe of the different options for crystals. "okay, if you could choose any one which would it be? i know amethyst would be nice for friendship purposes."

            birdie's  eyes  quickly  widen.  "  no  !    sorry  –  no,  i  swear,  i'm  not  bored ! i  think  it's  sweet  to  see  you  get  all  googly  eyed  for  a  ceramic  flamingo,  you  know ? i'll  talk  your  ear  off  about  dungeons  &  dragons  and  why  you  should totally join  my  next  campaign  over  lunch.  "  their  grin  widens  at  the  prospect  of  friendship  jewelry  –  something  birdie  was  actually  quite  fond  of  (  embarrassingly  ),  "  can  we  get  one  of  the  bracelets ? oh ! –  we  should  get  matching  colors.  or  crystals.  some  cute  shit  like  that,  y'know  ? unfortunately  for you i'm  even  cheesier.  there's  a  place  a  little  farther  down  that  sells  pretty  ones,  c'mon.  " 

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.  "

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.

"unfortunately my black cat stevie is so territorial and eats up so much of my attention that even if i could ethically own a real flamingo, she wouldn't allow it. she's basically my landlord at this point." she teased before giving birdie a playful nudge. the comment about the dominguez-herreras made her giggle. "funny enough i actually have. guess they're rubbing off on me." she smiled and gave birdie a reassuring nod at the choice of necklace. "that's actually perfect for you! the color suits your personality, you're like human sunshine. it'll be my birthday gift to you and anything else you come across here that you may want." salem had a habit of spoiling the people in her life but she didn't mind it, plus birdie had been such a great friend to salem in the short time they'd known one another.

birdie stops herself from apologizing again — old people pleasing habits die hard, and it takes them a moment of opening and closing their mouth before their brain catches up, “ okay — fine, but you know that’s hard for me. i think it would look cute !  i’d say you could get a real flamingo, but that just seems cruel. “ eyes widen for a moment as she looks at salen, a little nervous laugh falling past her lips, “ you been hanging out with the dominguez-herreras recently ? that’s a them thing to do. “ which birdie can rock with, in the event it’s not their own blood. a pause, “ i like amethyst, it’s pretty. buuut — what about this one — ? “ birdie holds up a little citrine necklace, the bright yellow color stunning in the light, “ it matches your amethyst one, even the shape. so they’ll represent us both ! “

salem wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings due to being too preoccupied with scrolling on instagram. suddenly she felt someone crash into her, knocking her phone out of her hand. "shit!" she exclaimed while quickly retrieving her phone off the ground before looking over at the other, realizing it was drew on the floor. "oh god...are you okay? here take these." crouching down she handed him a couple of napkins for the drink spill. she couldn't help but laugh a bit. "immortal? but you can't handle a simple festival ride? seems like that theory has just been debunked."

open starter / @valpostart location / la fiesta de vendimia

still unsteady from his third go around the tilt - a - whirl, drew stands in front of a stall selling what smells like food, but he won't be able to confirm that until his vision returns to normal. he tries to take a sip from his tall cup of grape juice, but his aim is off so he jams the straw up his nostril. his violent recoil ( combined with the wooziness which still plagues him ) knocks drew backward, causing a collision with another festivalgoer and spilling his drink everywhere. "sorry," drew groans, sitting on the ground as he rubs his spinning head. "i'm feeling a little ... " he splays his arms out above his head, waving them around wildly. " ... you know ? three rides in the tilt - a - whirl will do that to a person. even a suspected immortal such as myself."

salem giggled at luna's response. most of the time luna was in some sort of platform boot and after a while the different styles kind of meshed together in a way. "unfortunately for me i didn't inherit my mom's eye for the little details in fashion but those shoes are super cute." she said reassuringly. "you should see if you can get a brand deal with demonia or something." luna fit the brand's aesthetic perfectly. a big smile stretched across salem's face at luna's reaction. she'd been missing all her close friends terribly the past couple of weeks and was just happy everyone had been giving her the space to be by herself for a bit. "i've been good! i'm working on new music and trying to just hone in on creating again so i've been in a better headspace. a more creative one, finally." she sipped on her coffee and nodded. "i found a cool place here where i can record which is perfect." valpo had become like a second home to salem and truthfully she had no intentions on going back to new york anytime soon. "i really want to work on the whole album here from start to finish if i can. speaking of which i desperately need some luna magic on it." she exclaimed trying her best to contain her excitement about the possibilties. "but enough about that, how have you been? anything interesting going on lately?"

               maybe   if   her   wardrobe   varied   in   color   or   style,   the   black   platform   boots   with   the   broken   heart   buckles   and   chains   hanging   from   the   sides   would   be   recognizable   as   being   new.   though,   she   guessed,   the   pout   on   their   features   would   work   to   serve   the   same   purpose.   "   what   do   you   mean   ?   i've   never   worn   these   out   before   today.   "   they   looked   down   at   them   briefly,   before   releasing   a   sigh   and   making   a   mental   note   to   go   shopping   for   some   more   boots   later.   the   shoes   resting   at   their   side   were   soon   forgotten   at   the   sound   of   salem's   sweet   words.   a   slut   for   reassurance,   it   always   make   luna   light   up   when   they   heard   they   were   missed,   or   thought   of,   or   even   just   someone   they   were   happy   to   see.   "   ay   que   amoroso   !   "   she   nearly   squealed,   her   hand   coming   across   the   table   to   take   hold   of   salem   with   a   small   giggle.   "   nothing   dramatic   about   missing   someone   !   especially   if   the   someone   is   me   because   i've   missed   you   too   !   "   they   explained   scooting   the   chair   more   under   the   table   and   leaning   forward   on   it   to   give   salem   their   full   attention.   "   how   have   you   been   ?   where   have   you   been   ?   don't   leave   any   details   out,   i   feel   like   i've   missed   an   entire   lifetime   !   "

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.  " 

"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."

"you mean to tell me this entire time i didn't have to pay you to get encouraging words from you?" salem teased as esme sat down in the seat across from her while quickly making space for the other. "i promise you're never intruding on me. i don't mind one bit! plus it gives us a chance to catch up somewhere else that isn't a dimly lit bar for once right?" she chuckled before taking a sip of her coffee. salem nodded as esme spoke about what she'd been up to, a bit taken back that her favorite bartender was no longer at los fantasmas. "wait you're at catch now?! any reason specifically or did you need a change of scenery?" she asked curiously. "i'll come to any bar to see you, that's never an issue. i've dealt with worse people before."

                ꒰ა   ♡  ໒꒱  --—  "  you  know,  i'm  proud  of  you.  and  i  can  promise  i  mean  it,  because  i'm  saying  it  without  you  giving  me  money.  "  esme  sends  salem  a  smile,  settling  into  the  chair  across  from  her.  she  sets  her  back  on  the  lone  third  chair  —  she  figures  she'll  be  here  for  a  while,  might  as  well  get  cozy.  "  do  you  mind  me  sitting  with  you  for  a  bit  ?  i  don't  wanna  intrude.  just  glad  to  see  you  alive  and  not  a  corpse  in  your  house,  y'know  ?  "  the  ribbing  is  gentle,  and  she  nods  while  sipping  her  coffee.  "  needed  a  recharge  —  trust  me,  i  get  it,  you  don't  have'ta  be  sorry.  i'm  good,  actually  !  oh,  that  reminds  me  —  got  a  new  job.  i  work  exactly  one  day  a  week  at  catch  now,  so  you're  gonna  have  to  make  the  trek  out  if  you  wanna  see  me.  i  understand  if  not,  though,  sometimes  those  people  suck.  "