salemxcroft-blog

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after repeating the instructions for the ride into the microphone mindlessly, salem hits the initiator and lets the machine do its thing, returning to jot messily into her weathered sketchbook. tongue poking out in focus, she muses over to the person besides her. “a part of me feels blessed that they didn’t slap me with the very predictable face-painting or caricature artist.” her grasp reaches for the tray of fries situated next to her, popping one into her mouth. “and yet the other part of me is like, lowkey offended they didn’t give me a chance to show off. i mean, the tilt-a-whirl? really?” a hand extends out to offer the fry to the person, eyebrows knit in determination to finish off whatever she was scribbling onto the weathered sheet. “how about you? did you get something good? or at least, something you don’t hate?”

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ooc ; here comes the event so go ahead and like this if you want a starter from salem! i’m posting an open one later on too. also if we haven’t plotted don’t be shy, i’m more than happy to start up anything and everything im deadass.

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Camila Mendes photographed by Sina al-Qamar.

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scout!

‘ you were a scary person to be friends with. i don’t know what was scarier, watching you do something stupid or doing it with you. ’  this should’ve be weird. talking to someone she hadn’t spoke to in years would be quite an awkward experience for scout under any other circumstances. however, this was salem. this was a girl she knew better than the back of her own hand and she doubted that anything with her had changed that dramatically in the time they’d been a part. if that was to be the case then the blonde was in for a rude awakening however she was certain it was nothing she couldn’t handle. ‘ they’ve been fine. i see them pretty much every week and they’re never off the phone. ’  the thought that her parents had potentially seen salem before she had and hadn’t said anything was quite surprising, though something she thought she understood. they’d adored their daughter’s friend and in her absence she was sure they probably noticed the difference in her. it wasn’t something they’d ever talked about purely because she wouldn’t talk about it. she lifts her gaze from the dull grey to look at the animated girl beside her, needing to capture this moment in her head. she wants to be able to mirror salem’s excitement but it’s hard when she knows the locations she’s so enthusiastically talking about at the very ones that caused her to lose her friend in the first place.‘ i bet, ’  she murmurs, tacking a little smile on to the end in the hopes of curbing her sounding too wistful. she doesn’t want to be sad or make the atmosphere an tenser than it already was but there was so much she had to say with no way of saying it. she doesn’t doubt for a second she’d love all of the places the other girl had been however she’d never been given the chance to go with her to them in the first place. she almost falters at the offer, giving a small shrug that she hopes doesn’t suggest how she really feels about it. it sounds too much like a long shot, like something that’d never happen no matter how much they hyped themselves up about it. she doesn’t want to dampen the conversation anymore than what the mood she was in probably already had though, so she opts to simply agree. ‘ you’re right, yeah. there’s nothing really keeping me here, ’  the only thing that ever would’ve was standing a mere foot away from her, ‘ i work pretty much on my own terms so i don’t see why i couldn’t come. ’  truthfully she knows better than to get too excited by the idea, which is why she changes the subject. ‘ you’ve moved back here for good, though ?  you’re not just… visiting ? ’

salem knows she deserves her old friend’s reservations with their conversation. she knows she deserves every short answer, every refusal to look her in the eyes. salem knows she deserves all of it— yet that doesn’t make it any easier. “i mean, i resonate with what you said. there’s nothing really keeping me here,” she admits. a part of her had wanted to lie and stop causing the girl so much anguish; she knew the answer scout wanted to hear, but salem knew it would do more harm than good to forge her answer in a lie. so she goes on, in the fullest sincerity she can muster, regardless of how uncomfortable the merest shred of vulnerability tends to make her. 

“i got too overwhelmed with the big city life, even though i was doing what i wanted, i felt like i was sinking. like if i were a boat, and someone had pierced the tiniest little hole in my helm.” her hands find their way back into her pockets as she continues forward, averting her gaze from that of her old friend as she tries to focus on choosing her words carefully to best explain what is going on in her head. “i lost my muse, as people like to put it. and then mayor powell died, and my roommate back in LA was moving back home anyways, so i did the same. everything just kinda started to draw me back.” a shrug rolls off her shoulders, her teeth sinking into the pink flesh of her lip anxiously. she knows scout had seen the dark bags beneath salem’s eyes, the indications of her most recently developed ailment, which was very quickly becoming one of her most defining features. “i think the worst part is the sleep thing. remember how i used to just knock out and doze through anything? alarms, the tv at full blast, my dog’s snores? now i’m lucky to just keep my eyes closed for a half hour. i forgot what it was like to feel rested, or to enjoy what i used to be so passionate about doing. i’m just trying to refresh myself and i think morris will help.” 

realizing the less than positive tangent she had gone on, the brunette wrinkles her nose, a sheepish laugh escaping her lips. “sorry, that got so emo. i’m never the emo one in any relationship.” and just like that, as easily as turning a light off, she retreats back into her shell, the moment of vulnerability having been far too much for her. she tries to switch the topic to any other casual theme she can think of, but before she can realize who she’s asking, the playful question leaves her lips. “anyone your golden gaze has landed on, scoutie? or is nobody in morris nearly good enough for you?”

(she immediately regrets asking the question no matter how the pristine decides to answer, knowing it’ll probably do more to her heart than she cares to admit.)

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nova!

                  . - ‘ ‘ the most beautiful view in morris?’ he echoes, spinning on his heels to face the woman with the usual  ego BORING fueled smirk setting into place. ‘ i’d say, you’re ALREADY looking at it’  he teases with a smile, tongue darting out to wet his bottom before he took a step back, shrugging ‘ down by the lake maybe, i think all of it is beautiful really.’

“oh, how charming,” salem grimaces playfully, taking in the young man’s self-assured confidence and suave presentation. “another swellheaded pretty boy barking up the wrong tree.” her gaze narrows at him, making sure he gets the message in order to avoid him wasting his efforts. “don’t take that as an offer of conversion.” there’s something familiar about him, perhaps she had known him (or perhaps of him) before she had left the city. never one to leave off on a bad foot, she offers a kind smile, hoping he doesn’t take her teasing to heart. “c’mon, cassanova, how about you lead me to this lake spot? you can tell me all about how often that ego has worked for you, you know, with the ladies.”

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sage!

sage had to gather her surroundings in for just a moment to ensure she was still in that same old shitty town she found herself before this interruption because she could not believe what was happening here. no one, not one sole person has had the audacity to speak up against sage since she walked back to these boring grounds just a few short weeks ago; hell, hardly any people back in detroit bit back to her either. now it was her mission to clarify something to these small-town wannabes, that there wasn’t room to associate sage within their picturesque, always ‘happy’ and friendly, bullshit lifestyle. and this is why sage found the other’s attempt practically comedic, a harsh scoff leaving her lips before taking a step closer with hopes of getting her wish granted (her opponent walking away tail between legs) before things had no choice but to get violent.  “sweetie, this BITCH has not even woken up yet, but that stench of pathetic works like an alarm so like i said, back the fuck off before i make sure the only way you end up leaving this spot is in a stretcher.” sage’s voice boomed down the desolate street as her glare flew daggers just inches towards the stranger’s face.  “—try me, dumbass, i dare you.” maybe getting into a fight was exactly what she needed right now.

salem was well aware of how far out of her element she was. and going on 26 hours straight of no sleep was of little avail to the irritable brunette. “oh, and what are you going to do?” she huffs indignantly, dark eyes narrowing into the most intimidating squint she can muster. in her defense, intentional intimidation was much too far out of her area of expertise, she really couldn’t name anyone she had any sort of rivalry or issue with. the easy-going artist was trying her hardest— and failing miserably— to stand her ground. “are you planning on just sitting there and snarling at me until i run away crying like a little bitch?” she would never admit the fact that if it weren’t for the pure adrenaline running through her flushed veins, she’d likely be shitting herself. in a move of unfiltered stupidity, she takes to her tiptoes, her tiny stature trying to match that of her opponent’s, and turns her head, offering the side of her face for a target. “you wouldn’t lay a finger on me. go ahead and prove me right, gutter slut. swing, since you seem so eager for me to kick your ass.”

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scout!

an ache settled itself deep within scout; one that was painfully familiar whenever she was around her friend – though saying as such may have been quite a stretch now, perhaps former friend was more fitting. it was something close to longing and while she knew exactly why she felt that way all those years ago, however now she had no idea. maybe it was because she had so many questions for salem that’d gone unanswered for the longest time and that was really the only explanation she was willing to believe was true. ‘ the park sounds good, ’  she agrees purely because it’s a public place full of enough distractions so that she doesn’t find herself staring wistfully at the other girl. a ghost of a smile forms on her lips at the memory, though she’s quick to ruin it by sinking her teeth into her lower lip as she nods. ‘ that was traumatizing, i was so worried. i remember you laughing at me afterwards ! ’  if that didn’t sum up their friendship as children she really didn’t know what would. she kept her gaze focused intently on the grey color of the sidewalk as they started their journey. ‘ i moved out a few months ago and that’s – well, that’s it really. ’  she wants to lie and pretend her life had been vastly interesting, that so much had happened in her life without salem around. she can’t though, because life had just went on the same as ever with one vital piece of it missing. ‘ nothing as exciting as i’m sure whatever you were getting up to was, i’m afraid. ’

“you were the first one to sign my cast,” the brunette reminisces, recalling the excitement that had washed over her to be branded by the blonde, as strange as it may have seemed in her youth. in her defense, childhood infatuation was a curious thing. “but to be fair, you were traumatized by like, everything i did as a kid. you always were the voice of reason and i was very reliably the selective listener, she jokes. her face softens at the mention of scout having moved out, sure, salem had been out of her own home for years at this point, but so much of their relationship had been forged upon them being neighbors— a constant, steady access to each other separated by a mere hedge. “have your moms been alright? i saw them when i went to see my parents, they seemed well.” the artist cringes to herself as she notes the sentence that had left her lips, knowing what it had truly meant in her head: i didn’t have the guts to ask about you; i was terrified they’d tell me something i wouldn’t be able to handle hearing. the smile quickly returns to her features as she muses over the times she wished she could have shared the travels with her childhood friend (times like those were more frequent than salem cares to admit.) “god scout you would have loved the west coast. new york was cool but you’d honestly fit right in down in california. people are so serious down there about makeup and effects and wow, was i lost without you there to explain it all to me like you used to. everything in LA is so bright and warm and beautiful.” there’s a hesitation, almost unnoticeable, when salem catches herself from adding an extra thought to the end of the statement: all the same words i’d use to descibe you. instead, she moves hastily towards their destination, continuing the conversation cooly, trying her very hardest to work towards the reparations she had been gearing towards. “the next time i have something over there, you should come. we talked so much about road tripping our senior year before graduation, it’d be a shame to leave it as just a concept. we should make it a reality this summer, don’t you think?”

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ivy!

“salem aschroft,” she said with a grin she couldn’t wipe off her features had she tried. ivy completely understood the desire to find beauty in the things that most people wouldn’t, and she’d been longing to be surrounded by like-minded souls. not everyone in los angeles had the same mindset as her, and not even everyone in morris had, but if there was one other person she could think of that fit that description, it would be salem. “well,” she paused, pretending to debate her options, “you had me at ‘gorgeous,’ but you can keep throwing compliments at me if you really want to.”

the brunette lets out a wholehearted laugh, tossing her head back as she revels in the feelings of being reunited with her favorite mentor. “god, my name sounds a million times better leaving your lips than it does leaving mine. i mean it.” an arched eyebrow raises playfully, the smile never faltering from her lips. “oh ivy, trust me, if i started with the compliments, i’d never end. you’d have to shut me up.” her head cocks to the side in genuine curiosity, gaze shamelessly tracing over the blonde’s figure before coming back up to meet the bright blues of her companion. “indulge me, what kind of trouble has that face of yours been stirring up around these parts?”

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jo!

‘hmm well there are quite a few lovely places here in morris, it’s just filled with small town charm on every corner but the most beautiful view? in my opinion of course, would probably have to be point’s beach. it’s a tiny beach but it has some coves and pretty views so that would probably be where I would go.’ jo said tucking her hair behind her ear, truthfully jo did love morris even though she had often wanted to go outside of the small town and see what the rest of the world had to offer. but with her father’s health and her siblings needing her she probably was going to be living her for the rest of her life. ‘has it? it seems to me things never change too much around here, then again i’ve never left. where did you move from?’ jo inquired wondering what it would be like to experience a life outside of morris.

“where didn’t i move here from?” the brunette snorts, holding out a stained hand to indicate all her former homes on her fingers. “i went all over the place before i came back here. seattle, new york, los angeles. morris just has this magnetism doesn’t it? i mean, look how many people are back for mayor powell’s funeral.” she points out, noting the event that had shaken so many of the town’s residents to their core. her family had never been particularly involved outside their bubble, more so the types to keep to themselves, but it was still disheartening to lose a figure as prominent as mayor powell. “i’ll give it to morris, what it lacks in interest, it makes up for in community.” her dark orbs take in the other woman’s figure, trying to process if this was a familiar silhouette to her or not. “how about you? local? or just passing through?”

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sapphic artist moodboard

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ooc;

if i owed you starter or a reply today i’m so so so sorry i promise i’ll get to them all tomorrow!! i just spent all day working on an essay rip. on the plus side here’s salem’s connections if yall wanna see those. if your muse isn’t on there yet pls feel free to hit me up for some plotting!! i love me some plottin! much love to you all & ill see you in the morning xoxoxo

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scout!

if it wouldn’t have made the situation painfully awkward, scout would’ve laughed. as far as she was concerned, salem had forgot about her. she’d forgot about her the second she left with no goodbye and she’d forgotten about her since, the lack of contact between them making that apparent. still, she wasn’t going to be the one to bring that up. yet. a rush of fondness courses through her at the memory but it’s still colored by the hurt she inevitably feels. part of the blonde almost wishes that she had an excuse not to spend time with the other female, but scout couldn’t lie and she’d always wonder what if if she didn’t agree. she swallows thickly before nodding, forcing another, hesitant at best, smile onto her lips. ‘ i think that would be good, ’  she agrees, adverting her gaze towards the ground for a moment. ‘ i’m sure we’ve got a lot to catch up on. where do you want to go ? ’

planning ahead had never been one of salem’s strong suits, and especially considering she had expected an entirely different answer, this came as an incredible surprise. a light finds her eyes, illuminating the dark orbs excitedly as she processes the girl’s response. “you— oh! okay, cool!” she stammers momentarily, before a beaming smile taking over her features. “the park isn’t too far of a walk from here, if you’re up for it,” she offers, trying to make use of their history to alleviate the tension between them. “remember when my family got that swing set, and you’d come over, and we tried to see who could go the highest? i ended up breaking my arm with no regrets. none.” a nostalgic laugh leaves her lips, taking her back to a time where things had been better between them. better, but not easier, by any means; salem’s unpredictable emotions made quick work of complicating what should have been a simple friendship. but all her internal conflict would never cancel out the fact that she treasured scout immensely, and salem wanted nothing more than to prove it. “what have you been up to, here in morris?” she asks softly, her paces starting in the direction of their destination. “any fun stories to share?”

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maxwell!

the tantalizing manner in which words flowed from the other’s mouth was paradoxical to the eagerness present in her movements. a low hum fell from maxwell’s lips, biting down upon her plush bottom one as her gaze slid unwavering between salem’s orbs. “arduous asshole your new pet name for me, kitty?” asked the blonde, shaking her head amusedly as she attempted to hold back legitimate emotion from appearing upon her features. she maintained a cool facade overall, appearing unaffected by the interaction beyond mere casual flirtation.

a sound of alert shocked through maxwell’s at the newfound proximity, and her predatory senses came to play as soon as a lovely female was near. her bottom lip puckered. she pressed up against the counter between them to reach over and brush salem’s hair behind her ear, a low sigh falling from her lips. “gonna get this pretty hair of you all greasy, darlin’, but i can think of a few things you could pick up. or lay down.” she uttered, voice suddenly lower as her hand lightly cradled her cheek for a moment, allowing her gaze to drift towards the terribly familiar pair that sent her heart tightening for the mere second she allowed it to occur. “can think of a few wicked things i’d like to do to you, too.” she added in practiced ease, not quite moving back just yet.

staying put where she was, with her rough fingerpads skimming over salem’s pleasantly warm and sculpted cheekbone, a light laugh escaped her, meeting her gaze with a careful, measured fondness upon her own gaze. “well, you know i can’t say no to you, sweet thing,” she drawled, considerably more guarded by her suave smooth-talking than appearing. “can’t say no to free coffee either. gonna throw a scone in with that, too? make it real fancy?” asked the blonde, pushing out her bottom lip and lolling her head to the side as her hand slid down to the collar of salem’s shirt and bringing her closer by it, breathing her in as she leaned her forehead against hers and shut her eyes. “smell real pretty, sal. just like i remember.”

“you’re terrible,” salem laughs, tossing her head back. she had forgotten just how shamelessly suggestive the blonde could be, big brown eyes taking on the features of the girl’s face in pure adoration. “absolutely terrible.” her tongue darts out to moisten her parched lips, trying to lighten the situation of the very obvious tension maxwell was inflecting on it. “i’d ask you to share these wicked things you want to do but honestly, i like this jumper and i’m not too enthused by the idea of having it ripped off my body.” she smiled amorously, leaning her cheek into the familiar, and not unwelcome, touch. “pet names are more your thing, max. always have been and always will be.”

“it’s good to know you’ll never be able to resist the power of my seductive suggestion,” she teases, with a playful wiggle of her sculpted eyebrows, although she’ll never admit, the feeling is entirely mutual. but there she was, forehead against salem’s, whispering sweet nothings to a girl who they shouldn’t be affecting. it was starting to get under salem’s skin how badly she missed her maxie, so she did what she did best: turn her feelings off entirely. “c’mon. you can’t just do stuff like this. you know that,” she warns softly, bringing up a finger to trace innocently along the lines of the older girl’s lips, remembering their shape and how comforting they had always been to her. “what are you trying to do, maxwell, drive me crazy?”

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scout!

it was a voice she’d recognize anywhere, and still scout found that her breath caught in her throat when she turned to see the familiar female stood behind her. she was no stranger to the fact that salem was back in town, however being able to see her again after years without it was definitely a bit of a shock to the system. ‘ i mean – all of my favorite places are still the same. providing you haven’t forgot where those are, you already know the answer to your question. ’ there’s a tentative smile on her lips, because if you really considered the implications of her words there was a rather subtle mocking edge to her words. she couldn’t help but sound somewhat bitter even if she was trying to cover it up, it wasn’t really an emotion she dealt with very often.

this really wasn’t the way she had wanted to run into her former neighbor, not by any means. she wanted to make some grand gesture, to try and patch up the tear she had unavoidably ripped into the seams of their rather complicated relationship. “me? forget you, scout halliday? impossible.” on the outside, she dons a kittenish grin; inside, she cringes, noting the irony in her words. in salem’s defense, her body doesn’t quite know how to express what her heart had repeated a million times over: i couldn’t bring myself to say goodbye to you. “we can go sneak into the community pool, like we used to ask kids. i bet that incredible view of the stars from there hasn’t changed.” her smile falters, a crack in her facade as the thoughts race through her mind like a stampede. salem knows her next suggestion is a long shot, but it’s one she’d rather make and be rejected instead of living with the guilt of having never asked. “we can um— catch up, perhaps? if you’re not busy, or if you even want.”

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alison!

alison couldn’t help the fact that she was overcome with joy due to the close proximity of her best friend - it’d been years since she’d come so near to someone she was comfortable and friendly with, let alone someone she loved like salem. “hey - you were always welcome to meet up with me somewhere, y’know? i wanted nothing more than to explore spain in your company, but you were stuck in new york being some kind of big shot artist,” she snorted, squeezing the raven-haired girls cheeks in her hands, before finally releasing her from her grasp. “i suppose i could spare a moment before jetting off to france,” she joked, swinging a restless arm around her friend’s shoulder, “parisians love me, sal, it’s amazing.”

“i wish i could have joined you, but this big shot artist has yet to penetrate the international market, al,” the girl teases back, soaking in the relieving presence of her long time friend. her nose twists up as she realizes her questionable word choice. “ew, please don’t ever let me use the word penetrate ever again. please.” her eager paces send her forward in the direction of the nearest diner, motioning for the seasoned traveller to follow. “parisians can fight me off with their baguettes and croissants, they will never love you more than i do,” she contests, jutting her chin out proudly with a playful grin.  “where were your favorite places that you visited? please tell me everything, i bet the photos i saw never did it justice.”

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A damaged soul and a genius mind won’t let the body sleep.

Hedonist Poet (via hedonistpoet)