"so you basically have to pick a class for your character? it's not something that's already set in stone? interesting..." salem replied as she looked over the page a bit puzzled. when she randomly decided to learn how to play dungeons and dragons she didn't realize just how much had gone into it and had to give drew props for knowing so much. "the weird ten sided dice confuses me a bit. how often should you be rolling? would i potentially get sent to jail for speeding like in monopoly? that's really the only board game i've ever played so it's probably not the best comparison." she let out a small chuckle and nodded. "i love kettle corn but i'm not sure if i've ever told you that so don't feel too bad about it." salem smiled reassuringly. "i haven't had a chance to try the churros here but i've heard leon talk about them before. are they really that good?"
when drew first met salem, he never would have been able to guess that their futures would be entwined at all, so sitting with her at his favorite place in chile while she asks him about dungeons and dragons of all things feels like a level of surreal that he's never before experienced except for during a twin peaks marathon. "let's just focus on one character for now," he suggests, sliding a page across the table. "if you want to be an elf than we can go right to your character's class, which is sort of just their job. the basic ones are fighter, wizard, cleric, rogue, and ranger. we're gonna need to roll later, too," drew announces, showing salem the dice he's been fidgeting with for hours now. "and probably some snacks. have you tried the churros here in chile yet ? do you like kettle corn ? i can't remember if i know that you like kettle corn," he confesses to her, frowning apologetically.
"shut up." she said playfully at his compliment. salem was surprised at how leon still managed to get her flustered with his words and overall presence. they'd known each other for what felt like forever and her feelings for him completely consumed her in certain moments, this one being one of them. she chuckled at his question "did i make this? no, you're giving me way too much credit now blondie." salem didn't think to make the dish from scratch which probably would have been a nicer gesture in retrospect. "i found this place when i was out a couple days ago having lunch with a friend and saw they had it on the menu. so i figured i'd surprise you with some, i remember you used to talk about it all the time back home in new york." she smiled up at him for a moment, quickly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
leon listens to salem, without interrupting her. the musical genius comment causes him to blush a little, and he watches her set his favorite chilean dish on the kitchen counter. did she make it? when she mentions she's sober, the man nods. her laugh, even her nervous laughter, he thinks it's cute. "you're such an idiot," leon ends up chuckling himself before walking up to her. each step that he takes, he takes it blindly. because he would let her break his heart a million times if it just meant that they'd always go back to each other. he's so in love. he's so hurt. "you actually clean up really nice," the blond teases her, standing so close to her that his heart rate goes up. he can't stop looking at her. his hand on the counter, next to hers, wanting to touch her but unable to do so. the love of his life. eventually, leon looks down at the food, "did you make this?" he asks softly.
status: closed for @vroyales // leia
after spending some time on the tilt-a-whirl and wandering around the grape maze salem convinced leia to tag along with her to the petting zoo. she was shamelessly enjoying every moment of it despite all the kids running around and crowding the area. "there's no way i can leave here without taking one home with me. it isn't fair." salem said while holding the piglet in her arms and gently petting it. "i mean, i could literally just put her in my tote bag right now and go home. do you think anyone would notice?"
status: closed for @alkaliineee // solana
salem beamed as she strolled through the vineyard with solana. she couldn't contain her enthusiasm as the two picked grapes and placed them in the basket. "i'm super excited for this, can you believe i've never done a wine tasting before either?" she said to the other. grape picking and creating your own wine was completely different from salem's typical idea of fun but she was quickly starting to adapt to trying new things while living in valpo. "please don't roast me too hard on how little i know about it all." she said a bit embarrassed. "my parents are more of the whiskey in a dive bar types than wine sipping on a vineyard you know?"
salem loved coming to secondhand style. she considered briefly at one point applying for a job with the amount of time ( and money ) she often spent in there. girl time with astrid was much needed since being back from la and salem never could say no to a shopping trip. fashion as a career never did bite for her but she did inherit somewhat of an interest from spending so much time with her mom at shows. she had a decent pile of finds for the colder weather draped over her arm as she waiting outside the dressing room for astrid, mentally contemplating if she needed this many sweaters. as her friend stepped out of the dressing room in a cute pair of low rise jeans salem grinned with approval. "i love those on you! the whole y2k style is thriving right now so you'd be right on trend. plus they make your ass look amazing if that's a factor." she glanced down at her phone for a moment to quickly reject a call from her ex leon. "the cargos are too safe for you. get out of your comfort zone babe."
───✮ ˙ ̟ closed starter ft. salem ( @cybermuses ) ── at secondhand style
⋆.˚ astrid had always fancied herself a strictly business employee, showing up when she wasn't on shift was normally an activity she did her best to avoid seeing as she rarely wanted to be there when she did have to work. for such an occasion though exceptions were to be made; her negotiation skills — honed by the job itself — and the employee discount she couldn’t remember officially having made secondhand style the only store that made even a modicum of sense. it was just a pit stop anyways, she needed a new pair of jeans seeing as the inner seam of the ones she still happened to be wearing had torn apparently without rhyme or reason at the very beginning of what was set to be a very eventful day. she’d grab a new pair, change in a dressing room and they’d be on their way. but first, she had to find a pair she loved as much as her well-worn boyfriend cut.
❝ ok, what do we think about low rises ? you know, getting out there… trying new things… at this rate we’re probably going to miss pre-bar brunch anyway so it’s not like it’d be outrageous yeah ? ❞ she poses the question to salem, an embroidered pair of jeans in hand, ❝ or i mean i could just grab some cargos… what do you think ? ❞ ─ ✶⋆.˚
"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.
status: open @valpostart location: el café de los gatos
“so like….hypothetically speaking if someone wanted one of these cats could they have one?” she asked the person beside her while her gaze was fixed on a larger grey tabby cat. salem being at the cat cafe wouldn’t surprise anyone ( neither would wanting to take in a random stray ) and she knew it would have to be one of the first stops she made as soon as she came back to town. as she crouched down to pet it she wondered how much her own cat would object to a sibling. she seemed to do well with “boat cat” after all. “i mean obviously i would pay for it and ask if i could have it but like can the cats leave with human if they want to?”
salem let out a small laugh, they were both in the same boat. she had almost no impulse control when it came to treating herself and seemed to be everyone's go to shopping partner back home and with everything she had going on in her personal life currently the retail therapy served as a good distraction. "you put me in a thrift store or a street market this one and i could do actual damage. so unfortunately i'm not going to be the friend to steer you away from spending a little too much." she teased before giving jamie a smile. "i'm kidding don't be sorry, but if you want we can go grab something?i'm pretty flexible when it comes to dining out. i actually wouldn't mind some coffee." salem said reassuringly.
jamie’s always been the time of person who enjoys exploring whenever he’s on vacation or at a new place. his mother was the complete opposite, always having an itinerary of places she wanted to visit or dine at, and while jamie can see the appeal, nothing beats just wandering around to see what a city has to offer. that’s how he came across the street market one day and it’s become a staple for him to visit and meander about. it’s even better when you come along with a friend who can point out things he may have originally missed. ❝ i always end up walking out here spending more than i probably should have, ❞ jamie admits with a slight chuckle as he unconsciously twists one of the rings around his finger. what’s said next has chocolate hues widen and blink over. ❝ oh, shit. do i not seem excited ?? sorry. i bet your place is gonna look awesome. my stomach is kinda raging war on me right now i was just thinking about what i was gonna eat for lunch. ❞