Growling at the stupid device before him, Sal crossed his arms over his chest. A snort came from behind him, which earned a electric-blue glare through the holes in his mask.
"It's funny because you are growling at an inanimate object," she answered his annoyance, which didn't earn her any points in his book. Long-sleeve, black shirt and red pants were the male teen's choice of wear. His blue sneakers were by the door, not needing them in the safety of his home.
The older girl stretched out on his bed, the one they sometimes shared. Her hair was a naturally chestnut brown, though it was hidden beneath black and streaks of blond, her eyes hazel-blue. Her black tank-top rode up, showing a flat stomach. Bluejeans went all the way to her socked feet, though her toes were still cold from the small draft that found its way inside. Blue, metal framed glasses rested on top of her head, blurring her vision.
"Good thing no one asked you, Mar," he snipped, but she could hear the smile behind his blank mask. "Maybe I can get Todd to look at it." Todd, their red-headed, bespectacled friend was their tech expert. The Super Gear Boy that Sal had been growling at was blinking, but no matter how hard Sal looked around their little apartment, he couldn't find the source.
"Or maybe you can let me take a look." Marie was the group psychic, though she hated the title. She was also Sal Fisher's adopted sister, one he had come to lean on in times of trial. "Come here and I'll do your hair."
He walked over to the bed and sat on the floor as Marie sat up and grabbed the two hair ties on the dresser next to the bed. Sal grumbled the entire time, letting her unclip his mask and weave her fingers through baby-blue hair. She loved playing with it, putting it into different styles when they were alone and the prosthetic mask her brother wore came off.
Marie's heart grew just as heavy as the mask in her younger brother's lap. She hated the stupid thing, but she understood. The scars were beautiful, but not everyone appreciated the beauty. Nor did they consider the person underneath them.
Shaking her head, Marie grabbed her brush and started on her brother's hair, getting out all the tangles sleep had left. Parting it as evenly as she could, she put the two halves in high pig-tails, as to not get in the way of the mask straps. This was her brother's preferred style, though it made him look a bit like a girl. That, and the nickname 'Sally Face' didn't help.
"All done," she chirped, letting him settle the mask on his face so she could click the clips into place. "I hate this dumb thing."
"I know." His voice was quiet, not wanting to have the same conversation that they've repeated thousands of times. "Want breakfast?"
"Eh," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. Marie wasn't a morning eater, this Sal knew and understood. "Wanna go bug Larry?"
"Sure." Larry, who Sal was teased endlessly about crushing by his adopted sister -he had once told her after such a comment that they had no relation and panicked when she started to cry-, was their metal loving, basement dwelling friend. "We can see of Todd is awake on the way down."
Marie nodded, accepting the plan. Moving over to her side of the small room, she grabbed one of her perfumes, clicked the cap once and letting it spray on her hip, then set it down again. They slipped on their shoes, Marie in her proffered black boots and Sal in blue sneakers. She clicked her tongue when she saw him just tuck in the laces instead of tying them.
The made their way to the second floor and to room 202, where Todd answered and took the malfunctioning Gear Boy to check for errors. His black eyes gazed at Marie questioningly behind circular glasses.
"Was there anything in the apartment that you could feel, Marie?" he asked, voice monotone, but they could both read his curiosity. There was a sleepy slur to his words.
"No," Marie replied, huffing. "I checked. There was nothing that I could feel besides the normal." Todd nodded and called his goodbyes as the two siblings walked away. They made their way back to the elevator, slipping in one of the cards to access the basement. They stood silently as their stomachs dropped along with the contraption, butterflies crawling out of their cocoons as the elevator rose from going too far down. Exiting, they walked down the hall to their right, passing the vending machine.
They opened the door to the apartment, the smell of bacon and eggs filling their senses. They waved to Lisa, who was in the kitchen cooking her and her son breakfast.
"Hey, you two. Larry's in his room. You want some breakfast?"
"No, thank you, Lisa," Marie declined, her brother politely doing the same. They made their way to the first bedroom, metal playing softly as to not irritate his mother. His brown eyes were narrowed in focus, the end of his paint brush in between his teeth as he analyzed the painting before him. Long, brown hair was in the same swept-back style, his Sanity's Fall tee-shirt unchanged. Jeans and bare feet accompanied it.
Marie went over to one of his dressers, opening the one that had a sticky note as old as time saying 'Mar's shit' on it. There was a new sketch book Larry had gotten her for her birthday that she had only sketched in twice, always while they where in Larry's room. She had another in the tree house, along with a third set of pencils Neil had given her. One of the other sets were here, in the drawer and the last one was in her and Sal's shared space.
She had them everywhere, and if you didn't want a bitch, you kept these and tea very close by. That, and Sal. Nothing calmed his sister more than his very presence. She had once said his aura was like the ocean, calm and soothing, but could turn into a tsunami at any time.
She snatched the sketchpad, box of pencils and erasers, and her small, portable easel from the floor before shutting the drawer with her hip. Camping on Larry's bed, she set to work pulling up and image on her phone before graphite hit the acid-free paper.
Sal sprawled next to the bed lazily, uninterested in drawing. He had left his guitar upstairs, so his only hobby besides ghost hunting was left behind.
"Sup," Larry finally greeted, not looking away from his canvas.
"Sup," Sal answered back, but Marie didn't hear him, already in her artist's zone. Neither male was dumb enough to break her out of it. "Had to give the Gear Boy to Todd this morning."
"Why?" their friend asked, putting another stroke of black against green.
"It was lighting up and blinking but there was nothing there. Even Mar said there was nothing there," Sal explained, stretching on his spot on the floor and tapping out the beats to the music. Marie didn't like metal, so she had headphones she brought with her everywhere to drowned them out. She had the odd taste of 90's and classical, some hard rock thrown in and that one blues and soul song she liked.
"Larry! Breakfast!" Lisa called from the kitchen.
"Coming! See you dudes in a few minutes," Larry called back, waving to his friends.
"I'm a woman, not a dude," Marie snarked back, before completely ignoring both males again. Sally chuckled, standing and sitting behind his sister and started to randomly braid strands of blond-highlighted black. She didn't mind, loving the feeling of fingers raking her scalp.
They sat there for a moment, their bonding time uninterrupted as Larry walked in. He smiled softly at them, the adopted siblings family in all but blood. The thought of them sharing an ancestor or something made the brunette snort.
Sal looked over, not stopping his fingers from working black strands. "What, dickhead?"
"You both look like girls at a slumber party," Larry chuckled, making his way over and peering at Marie's sketch pad. The grays somehow translated into color, the apple looking as red as the crayons Marie liked to rag on. It was realistic, the shine mirroring the three of them inside.
She was drawing, Sal was laying beside her and Larry could see himself farther back, no doubt painting. Just like they always do.
"Almost done," she informed, pulling back from the picture to give it a once over. She then stiffened, eyes wide.
"Sis?" Sal called from behind her, hugging her around her middle. Marie started to shake violently, eyes still wide with horror. "Mar? Marie?" She didn't answer. She only clung to her brother's arm, tense and frightened.
"This is a safe place, this is a safe place," she chanted, legs curling up to her chest. Larry could only watch from the side, Sal having shook his head when he approached. "Safe... safe... Sally?"
"Right here. Your safe," he assured. Sal nuzzled his sister's neck with his prosthetic, seeming to snap her out of whatever trance she was in. Her muscles loosened and she fell back into Sal's arms. "What happened?"
"Demon," was all she said, but it chilled the room. "There's something dark here. Something is following us."
"Why? What would a demon want here?" Larry asked, coming closer to sit next to them on the bed.
"The walls... they were black... I don't like this. I feel like we're being watched. Sal..."
"Right here. Nothing can hurt us. You're safe."
Sal was used to this. There were times that the energy in Addison Apartments was just too much, overloading his sister's spiritual senses, causing her to black out. It could last seconds or hours, but all Sal could do was let his energy sooth her.
A knock at the door made them all jump, watching it swing open before anyone could reject. It was Todd, their freckled, red-headed friend with the Super Gear Boy in hand. He took them in, brows knitting in concern.
"Everything okay?"
"Overload... demon... Todd, it's not safe," Marie tried, shivering softly in Sal's arms. He looked to him for translation.
"She was having a energy overload and when she came out of it she said she sensed a demon. That he was following us," he repeated, clearer in his explanation. Todd nodded.
"I think I found out why the Gear Boy was acting strange," he stated, holding it out to Marie who ignored it in favor of breathing. The screen lit up slightly, the light blinking. "As I thought. Marie is giving off a lot of energy, most likely the cause of her psychic abilities. Unless she can stem the flow, it's always going to light up around her. There isn't much I can do to make it stop."
"Be still," Marie ordered, looking up. They all followed her gaze, finding nothing but the peeling ceiling.
"What is it?" Sal asked, tense and ready to defend his sister at all cost. He shivered when he felt something wash over him, protective and worried. She had thrown up a shield, he realized. She was protecting them from something they couldn't see.
"The blackness is upstairs. Not right above us, but I would guess the fifth floor."
"Blackness?" Todd questioned before his dark orbs lit up in understanding. "The demon."
"Fuck you, too, bastard," Marie seethed and Sal could feel the shield grow a little thicker. "My family. Mine."
Having spent so much time around Marie, he had grown sensitive to her energy. She was strong, fierce, and felt like a hurricane. Whoever she deemed worth of her protection was in the eye and nothing was getting through. She was now in that protective mode, clinging her loved ones close to the eye as wind whipped fiercely.
They all paused, not wanting to break her concentration. She finally sighed, easing back into Sal fully. "That's right, bastard. Come at me." Sal felt the field thin, but not disappear. "This is serious. We need to get rid of this thing. I'm strong, but I cant shield every ghost and person in this place. Just fighting him off the four of us is tiring. He's strong, I'll give him that."
"I could try and give the Gear Boy an upgrade to help you," Todd offered, "and if I could barrow you for a moment, Marie, I could sync the Gear Boy to you so it stops glowing. I don't know if it'll work," he admitted, showing the Gear Boy in his hand for emphasis.
"'Bout time we went home, anyway. As much as I love home..." Marie sighed, looking at her brother. "I'm scared for Dad. He could be in danger on the fourth floor."
"He's at work most of the time," Sally Face reminded. "He'll be fine." She nodded, her brow still scrunched. Worried, Sal deducted. She put away her art supplies, hissing at Larry when he tried to help. No one fucked with Mar's shit.
No one.
You don't wanna know what happens when you do.
She stretched as they walked down the small hall to the elevator. Her brother stuck to her side, silent reassurance that everything was alright, hands intertwined in support. They followed Todd into his home of 202 and waved at his parents, who were sitting on the couch. Entering Todd's personal Electronic Dungeon of Nerdiness.
Or... that's what Mar called it.
"Sit on the bed and I'll begin," Todd instructed. She sat, looking at him with subtle confusion. "I'm going to try and tune it. Can you pulse your energy? Try and concentrate on the Super Gear Boy."
She closed hazel eyes, trying to feel out those around her. She had to shift through the thick air of the apartments, already charged with the energy of restless spirits. Sal's came to her with a calming wave, her personal ocean chilling her frayed nerves. Todd's was green, his curiosity making his aura flex around him. She focused on Todd, looking at his spiritual image to the little device in his hands.
It was cold, but it gave off a static, white energy. She tried to pull herself closer to it, letting it scan her. She could feel it eat some of her aura, taking it in before it beeped, signaling her to return to the living world. Marie retreated slowly, having learned her lesson about leaving her meditative state quickly.
A horrible migraine and a nosebleed.
Now, she only had a slight headache, her nose clear of blood. Sally looked her over, noticing her slight discomfort.
"Just a headache," Marie assured.
"It seems to have worked. It isn't glowing anymore. Hopefully, that will stop any false alarms," Todd informed, putting the Gear Boy on his desk to tinker with it later.
"Cool," Marie smiled, looking at the dark screen with interest. "I'm going home to take a nap. I've used too much energy today."
"You earned it," Todd agreed, letting the siblings leave to go home. Once there, Marie snuggled on the couch with Gizmo, their ginger cat. Sal smiled, putting the old kettle on the stove and taking out the preferred herbal tea his sister drank like he did coffee.
Sally moved back to his adopted family and pet, letting the female lean on him. Fingers laced and heads braced on each other, they fell into a comfortable silence. Soon, the kettle was screeching, the whistle loud in the silence of the apartment. Sal uncurled from his sibling's side to fix her tea. A drop of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar to dull the edge.
He didn't hand it to her, knowing that she wouldn't touch it until it was room temperature. The smell of earth and vinegar drifted through their home as Marie tried to work off the headache with meditation. He cuddled beside her again, letting her snuggle into his neck and capture his hand.
"We have school tomorrow," she groaned, finally remembering it was Sunday.
"Yup," Sally answered, popping the 'p'. "You gotta deal with people, Mar-Mar." The nickname made her smile, stroking Gizmo's fur.
"Sally," she moaned out, "I don' wanna!"
Oh, the world was going to end. She had to interact with people.
Now, she may not be a people person, but she had this aura that made people flock to her. Everyone used her as a councilor, well, the girls did. Marie was such an easy person to talk to, and he had heard more times than he can count that people had slipped and went on a rant that wasn't supposed to happen.
Sal understood. She was always there, accepting anything that came her way. Now, he was not saying she was a doormat, no, no. His adopted sister was the dog waiting at the window for the thief. She was open-minded, accepting peoples oddities for what they were with little trouble.
Todd was gay, his boyfriend Neil one of the coolest people Sal knew. Marie was the one to get money from Larry, losing a bet foolishly. You didn't bet with Marie when it came to reading people. It was a fact that she was always right.
Larry had thought he was cursed, but she had only rolled her eyes, sass clear behind her round, blue frames. "You're an idiot," she had said. "You're not cursed. I would have smelled it on you." But she didn't make fun of him. Never has.
And Sal...
Sal's face was something from nightmares... but she loved him. She would make him take it off when they were alone, saying she hated the mask more than his face. She had once called him beautiful...
Marie finally picked up her cup, cradling it with both hands. She sipped it, humming at the taste.
"I don't see how you drink that," Sally stated, and Marie could imagine him wrinkling his nose.
"Have you ever tried it?" she snarked back, holding the cooled cup out to him. He flinched back from it and made a cross from his fingers.
"Back, demon!" he shouted, making them both giggle. "I did, actually. You had gone to the bathroom and I thought I could be sneaky and drink your tea. It was sooo bad." Marie laughed, holding the mug by the handle and started to pet Gizmo who was still in her lap.
"That's what you get!" Marie chuckled. "Trying to drink my tea. What a horrible person you are." Sally Face laughed.
"Yeah, I kinda earned that one," he agreed. He felt something pull on one of his pigtails, but he didn't need to look to know that Marie hand hooked an arm around him and started to play with his hair.
"Your hair is so pretty," she cooed. "You should leave it down more often. You look good with it down."
"Yeah? Well, I like it to not be in my face."
"Sally's face," she snorted. Sal only rolled his crystal-blue eyes at her. "Didn't you say you wanted a nap?"
"Sort of," she droned. "I am tired, but I'm not sleepy. Just need a rest. I'm too wired to go to sleep anyway. You know I've never like the dark, but this is awful."
He did know. She went into a full out panic when he had closed her door to the hallway light at their old house on Jersey. She had cried for a hour afterwards, calling out to her brother for comfort. He was there in a heartbeat. He never asked why, but she had told him anyways.
"The shadows are a dangerous place, little brother. If you let it, it'll eat your soul. I feel like the darkness is watching me, waiting for me to be weak... I cant let it in."
The experience with the demon must have rattled that fear loose. She had gotten better, the dark not scaring her and confined spaces aren't as much of a problem. It was people that made her nervous.
Marie was never good with people, always awkward and blunt. In crowds, she was even worse. Should she not have someone familiar by her side, she shuts down, full panic gripping her heart. It was this phobia that led her to the weekly therapy sessions their dad paid for.
They never helped. They only made her angry.
She didn't like snoops, and that's what therapists are paid to do. It was this and her naturally short fuse that quickly got her in trouble. She was supposed to take meds, and Sally had seen them disappear by the bottle. He had a sneaky suspicion she sold them.
It didn't bother him, to be honest. She didn't need them. There were even more now, in their cabinet. Higher doses because they 'weren't working'. That, and some pill that was supposed to stop her 'seizures'. That's what they called her spiritual episodes, which Sal guess was a close enough comparison.
She never took either.
0oo00oo0
"Your sister was on medication?" the doctor asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yes. She never took them, as I've said. She didn't really need them."
"Hm. She fights anyone who comes near her. She's always asking for you. I've been trying to get them to let you see her, but it isn't going well," Dr. Enon explained.
"If I could see her... Could you... really let me see her?" Sally asked, blue eyes desperate. "She's the only one I have..."
"And that is your fault, currently," Dr. Enon sighed. "She right in there with Todd. He's not doing any better, either."
"I could make her better. Me and her have something special. She could make Todd better!"
"Now, Sal, calm down," Enon spoke gently. "I will do what I can."
He nodded, happiness filling his chest.
"Thanks."
0oo00oo0
In his prison jumper and his wrists bound, Sally made his way through white walls, heart soaring. Dr. Enon had done it. He was going to see her.
He was let inside the white, padded room, cuffs unlocked and a guard at the door.
"Mar-Mar?" he called, looking about. He found her on the bed, but it made his heart sink.
She was in white, just like the rest of the room. She didn't have on a straight jacket on, white was good. Marie was holder her knees to her chest, her hair now the natural, chestnut brown. The tips were black from when she had dyed it all those years ago. Her skin was pale instead of the tanned, red tone her Native American heritage brought out. Not enough sun.
She lifted her head, hazel-blue eyes looking at him in disbelief. Her cheeks were sunken, obviously not eating as she should. Too many drugs, most likely, were another cause.
"Sally Face?" she questioned. Hope lit her eyes. "Your the real one, right?"
"Yeah, Mar. It's me."
"What do I put in my coffee?
"You liked tea better, but you put two teaspoons of sugar and mil in your tea when you drink it."
Her eyes watered and she couldn't get up fast enough. She charged at him, almost making him fall over when they collided.
"Sal!" Marie cried. "Sal. Sal, Sal!"
"Yeah, it's me," he reassured. "I'm so sorry. I'm the reason you're here. I never meant for this to happen."
"They don't believe me... no one believes us."
"Us?"
"They've driven me insane here... Sal I want to go home. I want to leave," she sobbed, clinging to her younger brother as if for dear life. "Because they've deemed me insane, I cant help with your case. You didn't kill them for nothing. They were already done."
"I know, but they don't understand."
"Your times up, Sally Face," the guard said from the door, but Marie had other ideas.
"Your not taking him from me. Never again!" she screamed, and Sal could feel her energy spike. He stepped between them, covering her view of the guard. Cupping her face, he tried to bring her back to him.
"Mar-Mar? Calm down. It's okay. We'll see each other again-"
"No... no. I wont let these humans take you from me again." She spat the word like it burned her lips, eyes hard expression cold. He turned to the guard, calling for him to run. His sister would show no mercy.
The guard collapsed, his soul damaged by a wave of pressure. He looked at his sister, eyes wide. She might have been ruthless, but she would have never killed someone. Never...
"I wont let them take you again," she chocked out. "Your my baby brother. I'm supposed to protect you."
0oo00oo0
Marie woke up, eyes stilled closed but ears on full alert. She was a light sleeper, so it may have been nothing. Dad coming home or something. It wasn't.
Sal was tossing and turning again in his sleep, whimpers and moans leaving his throat. Marie sighed. Sitting up and swinging her legs over the bed, she marched quietly over to her brother. Squeezing into his space, Marie hugged him close but didn't wake him, letting the nightmare ride itself out. He would wake up in a panic if she did.
Arms were around his waist, nose nuzzled into his neck to take in his scent. Back-to-chest.
A gasp left him as shivers and goosebumps plagued his skin. Sal panted as he tried to make sense of the world around him. There was warmth on his back, curling around him protectively while the feeling of calm tried to invade his senses.
Marie. She was right there next to him, warming the chill of death that had settled over him. She didn't speak, never asking what they were about or if he wanted to talk. Marie only waited, seeing if he would tell her. He normally didn't, but she was still there if he needed her.
"Go back to sleep, baby brother," she encouraged.
"I'm sorry for waking you," he breathed through scared lips. She kissed his neck before snuggling closer.
0oo00oo0
"Ugh."
"It's just school."
"UGHH," she groaned louder, leaning onto her taller friend, her half-mask digging into his shoulder. Marie wore a festive mask in support of her brother, and no one had dared confront her about it. It had red petals around the eye holes and red and black swirls slithering around to fill it out. The nose was painted black and Larry had once teased that she looked like a kitten. Turned out she was one of their much bigger brethren.
Larry chuckled. "Yeah, Ash. Don't you know humans suck?" he questioned their only other female friend.
"We are humans," Ashley retorted, smirk on her lips. Her green eyes shined in mirth, long, brown hair kept down. A purple shirt went to her thighs, a black choker matching her pants. Gray tennis-shoes protected her feet.
"Bold of you to assume," Marie sang, standing up straight again.
"She's adopted," Sal quickly added, as if to save his reputation. Marie whipped around to look at him, hand clapping to her chest as if to calm a racing heart.
"Brother! Why have you betrayed me?" she gasped, falling dramatically against Larry, who barely caught her with a grunt.
"I don't associate myself with aliens."
"I thought you were going to say demons. I was going to roast your ass alive," Marie huffed, disappointed her chance was ruined. The bell rang, signaling the start of class. The groups geniuses (read: nerds), Marie and Todd followed along easily. Larry was half asleep. Both Sal and Ashley looked a bit lost but were taking notes anyway.
Sal had learned his lesson about notes. If he didn't had evidence that he at least paid attention, his sister would lift her pink to help him. "Gotta help yourself before I help you~"
She is such a dick.
Soon, lunch rolled around, letting the gang chill around their normal table eating whatever the fuck this shit was made of.
Not any meat Sally could identify. That is why he and Marie had homemade lunches that Marie had fixed. Of course, they had to fend off their friends.
"But I'm your best friend, Sally Face!" Larry whined, trying to steal a bite of the white rice, vegetables and chicken. Soy sauce, of course, was on the top of the pile. Not too much, mind you, because Marie was concerned for his health.
"Larry Face," Sal sighed from behind his blank mask, "my big sister made this just for me. Let me enjoy it."
"You two should get married," Marie commented offhandedly, making both boys turn crimson. She could imagine a cute anime blush drawn on Sal's mask.
"Homos," came a sneer, and everyone rolled their eyes, mood ruined.
Travis Phelps was a blond boy, long-sleeve pink shirt and blue shorts bottomed out with green sneakers that didn't hide his gray socks. Marie was the only one in the group that even slightly tolerated the boy.
She looked at him from behind her half-mask, glare sharp as he walked over. He was approaching Sally, which was very bold of him with Marie around. She would deck him if she even sniffed trouble. Larry watched her, gaze flickering between her and the approaching teen. She was laid back, relaxed and loose. Her gaze was on Travis, but she seemed unthreatened.
"Is he your little boyfriend now?" Travis sneered, getting snickers from around the room. Sally ignored him, lifting his mask a bit to eat another bite of his sister's amazing cooking. "Hey I'm speaking to you!"
"And I am ignoring you," Sally replied calmly. Marie then tensed, which made all of the team tense.
"Beat it, Travis. No one was talking to you," Larry snarled, defending his friend.
"Yeah, Travis. Why cant you just leave us alone?" Ash hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. Marie said nothing.
"I wasn't talking to you either. Answer me, Sally face," he spat, growling as he just took another bite of food. Fed up with being ignored, he grabbed the edge of Sal's mask...
and pulled.
The straps snapped, ripping it off the boy's face. He ducked, putting hands over his face. He didn't see what happened, but he heard a viper snap at her pray.
"Don't fucking touch my brother. I will end you so fast, you wont be able to see your blood splatter on the walls."
His sister had saved him, his prosthetic scrapping on the tile as she picked it up.
"Move your hands, baby brother. I'm covering you, don't worry," she assured softly. He trusted her, moving his hands and letting her place the mask on his face. He had to hold it, the straps broken. "All better," Marie cheered, getting out of Sally's space. He looked, find Travis Phelps on the ground with the fear of God in his eyes. His eye was swelling, a bruise already forming on his cheekbone.
Marie turned to Phelps one last time, making him flinch back. "I'm warning all of you now. I'll beat the shit out of every one of you. Don't fuck with my family." Then she gathered both her and her brother's lunch boxes, leading him out with her.
"Your not even related!" Travis yelled, trying to collect himself. "Your an unwanted orphan who was picked up!"
"Family isn't about blood," Marie stated wisely, not turning to look at him. "Family is who you'll die for. Who you would do anything for. Sally, Larry, Ash, all of my friends. I would die for them. They're family."
She then walked out with the grace and badassery of a goddess, her brother trailing her.
0oo00oo0
In the end, her and her brother were able to go home, Sal because of his mask and Marie because she was suspended for the day. Not that she cared, to be honest. She was going to go home with her brother anyway, whether they 'let her' or not. When they got home... they found out quickly that their father was home.
"Sup, Dad," Marie called casually, walking away to get the sewing kit.
"You're both home early. Something happen?" Henry Fisher asked his children before he realized Sally was holding his mask instead of it strapped behind his head. "Sal? What happened to your mask, bud?"
"Long story," Sal dodged, but his sister eagerly gave details.
"This little brat thought he was funny and ripped the straps. He was lying on the cafeteria floor with a rather nice shiner when we left," Marie chimed, walking back into the living room.
"And that's why your home. You got kicked out," Henry sighed. He stroked his sky-blue beard, hair the same color as Sal's. Matching eyes closed as he exhaled. His grey long-sleeve wrinkled as he sunk into the couch, brown pants riding up with the movement. "What am I going to do with you? You know I'm proud of you for defending your brother, but Marie, you cant be getting kicked out of school. You have such a bright future."
"And Travis can only see his with one eye," she joked, setting the large box on the counter to finish the conversation before Sal vanished into their room to hide from their father.
"That's not what's bothering you, Mar-Mar," he claimed, using her favored nickname that Sal had so cutely called her when they were young. "What happened, darling?"
She hated when he did that. Looked through her.
"He..." she paused, eyes dark behind her half-mask. "He told me I was an unwanted orphan that you happened to pick up. Like I was a stay dog." Marie's voice trailed off, her muscles taught with both rage and sadness.
"Mar," Sal called, heart breaking for his adopted sister. Marie Fisher was adopted after the death of his mother and the accident that took his face, his father claiming they needed a 'female touch'. His sister was one of the best things that had happened to Sal and his father, and they tell her every day.
But, despite how much they assure her, her adoption was a sore spot for the sixteen-year-old. She drowned in her sadness when she thought of before she had met them. Something happened, Sal knew, and what it was... he may never know.
"Marie, honey," Henry cooed, approaching cautiously. There was two way physical affection could go in times like this. It could throw her into a 'seizure' or she would cuddle you for eternity. "You know that isn't true."
"Is it?" she questioned, taking off her mask and letting the porcelain clunk on the counter. "Aren't I the stray no one wanted? They monster they thought I was?"
That was new. Who thought she was a monster?
"Monster, sis? You're not a monster. Never have I heard of a monster defending family, or loving her friends to the point of where she would die for them," Sally consoled, getting closer to his sister in all but blood than his father dared.
Her shoulders shook, but she nodded. "Come on, Sal. Gotta fix it before school tomorrow." Marie made her way to their room, box in hand. Sal sighed, following obediently.
He closed the door behind them, sitting on her bed, since it was the closest to the door. She sat in a bean bag she had stolen from Larry across from his, needle already in hand and being threaded. His mask, which was taken as soon as the door had closed, was sitting in her lap, face-down.
Sal could feel her frustration, the grumbling under her bed enough to prove it. When she finally situated the needle, she stuck it through the worn leather, knitting it together skillfully.
Sal watched, hands in his lap. Marie quietly worked, deep in thought it seemed. Both of them kept the silence, letting it drift between them comfortably, neither wanting to break it.
"All done," Marie breathed out, not wanting to ruin the calm atmosphere. She got up and walked over to her brother, but paused. Instead of putting the mask on, she set it aside and start to take out his pigtails.
Sal didn't argue, letting her nails scratch his scalp and rake through blue strands. Marie crawled behind him, grabbing her brush from her stand. She brushed them out, making sure all the tangles were still out from this morning. Satisfied, she braided the long strands, the braid reaching to the middle of his shoulder blades.
Crawling around again, Marie straddled her brother's lap and put the mask up to his face to hold. She clipped the straps into place, pulling a bit to make sure her stitches would hold.
"Is it tight?" she asked, making sure her was comfortable.
"No, it's fine," Sal assured. He looked up at her, noticing the sad expression she was giving him. She touched their foreheads together, closing her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Marie asked, linking their hands together. "That was pretty bad."
"You're more upset than I am," Sally spoke honestly. Blue eyes gazed at her, one false and another real, full of concern. "Are you alright, sis?"
"I... You all know that I don't... hate Travis. There's a reason for that. I'm not going to tell you, but what he does is only backlash. He has a hard time, so... try not to be too mad at him," Marie begged.
Sal pulled her close, snuggling into her neck as she rested her head on his. "You knocked him pretty good. So much for being nice," he joked. Marie chuckled, so he took that as a victory.
"While I might not hate him, I sure as shit wont choose him over family." Sal breathed out a laugh, then a thought passed him by.
"The others are probably worried."
"They're giving us space. They will all be home soon. We can talk to them later... Right now, I don't wanna deal with people." Sal nodded, relaxing into the hold they had. No one, dead or alive, could pull them apart now. Marie, with her sharp ears, heard the front door open and close, signalling they were alone.
"Hey, Sal? Have you ever thought about letting me decorate your mask?" Marie asked, looking at her pencils and sketchpad longingly. She had already thought of several, and it wasn't like she was going to use anything permanent. Oh, my God. That was it. "I can use something washable and if you don't like it, we can wash it. We could do a different design every day. That would be cool."
Sal chuckled at her excitement. "I don't see why not. As long as you don't give me any Day of the Dead shit."
"Aw, but those masks are so pretty! No appreciation." Sal laughed again, watching as his sister's heavy aura dissipated. The hurricane was slowing, defense softening while they were alone. He watched her gather make-up from the bathroom, which surprised Sal. She owned make-up? "We'll use this, since I only use it every blue moon anyway. I used this as the trial and error for my mask."
Marie set to work, making Sal sit against the wall with his legs out so she could use him as a chair. He let her, not going to argue over something he knew he would lose. She went to start, pulling out beautiful hues of pink and blue, purples of every shade came into view along with a complementary orange.
She was muttering to herself, looking over the different things she had pulled out, mostly eye-shadow and blush. She reached for once of her small sponges, picking up a palate of pale colors. Marie turned again, looking at his mask, eyes narrowed. Dipping her weapon of choice into a selected poison, she reached out for him, but he lightly grabbed her wrist to stop her.
Marie looked at him in concern and confusion, waiting for Sal to collect himself.
"Could you..." he started, pausing to recollect his thoughts and calm his heart. "Could you make me... look more... human?"
Marie paused, shocked at the request. A soft smile spread across her face, eyes lighting in the dim lights of their room. Their sanctuary away from everything. Their haven... something they shared with no one.
She kissed his forehead, sending spikes of nostalgia and sadness down Sal's spine. Marie let her lips rest there for a moment, her free hand brushing back the long strands of his bangs that fell out of the braid to frame his face. Marie sat back, looking at Sally softly. He could see his mother's kind, smiling face, the one she gave him when she said-
"I love you." Sal looked at her blankly before closing his eyes in a smile.
"Love you, too, Mar." Marie nodded and continued on her mission, a new goal in mind. Sal watched in fascination as she worked, brows furrowed in an almost angry expression. Silence reigned, which seemed to only seemed to annoy her more.
"Stay," Marie ordered, getting up and letting the circulation back into his legs. He watched her grab the cell that the government had given her, one of those new touch-screens that cost way too much. Marie was positive it was to track her, given the record she had.
When Sal had asked what she meant when she said record, she would only smile sourly and say:
"Do you think I've been this mello? This is puppy shit compared what I used to do."
Those words carried more weight than she let on, but he never pressed.
She snatched the phone off the charger and clicked on YouTune, the phone snatching wifi from somewhere. One of her favorite songs started to play, making her smile. Now relaxed, she began to sing a bit off-tune to the song.
"Seven-headed Hydra livin' in my swimmin' pool~" Marie sang, tapping her fingers on her brush as she applied it to the mask. It had an old-timey vibe to it, that one that made you want to tap your foot or something, to move. She was weird, and her choice in music was even weirder.
Finally finished and satisfied, Marie nodded to herself before turning off the music. She got off of him and grabbed his wrist, hauling him up and out of the room. They burst into the bathroom, letting him look into the mirror.
He was stunned.
There were pale colors to complement the off cream of the mask, the darker gray part over his right eye playing a part design. Gray flames encroached on his right eye, going no farther. Pale, but natural blush dusted over the mask, making it look more like very pale skin instead of the porcelain it really was. Gray swirls curled around his left eye, balancing it out. The lips of the mask were colored a light pink, making them shine, along with the bridge of his nose.
"Marie..." Sal breathed, looking at the artwork that was now his mask. "Can I keep it?"
She chuckled, smile warm. "How about this? Next time we do this, I'll do all the natural colors and put a coat of waterproof protection on it. Then, we can layer designs on it without having to redo things like your nose and lips."
He nodded slowly, not wanting to ruin the powdered perfection. Marie tilted her head, as if listening to something before giving him a 'one minute'. Sal just continued to stare into the mirror, flabbergasted. He looked so much more... alive. Less like a blank puppet.
"Give him a minute, Lar. He's freaking out," Sal heard Marie joke, holding the new walkie talkies that Sal had bought like he'd promised. Sal snatched the walkie, almost breaking the poor button in his rush to push it.
"Dude, you don't understand. We'll be down there in a minute to show you. Give us two seconds," Sal rushed out, clipping the walkie to his pants before grabbing his giggling sister and practically ran to the elevator right next door to their apartment.
"Are you alright? You seemed pretty freaked out earlier. You sure you're okay, Sally Face?" came Larry's voice from the walkie, which was snatched by Marie before Sal could answer. He was tapping his foot impatiently, wishing the elevator would go faster.
"He's fine now. I'm more worried about what you did to Travis when we left," Marie drawled.
"I wanted to beat his ass," Larry hissed as the elevator dinged at the basement level, "but controlled myself. You knocked him pretty good."
"Let us in, Larry Face," Marie requested through the walkie, listening to door click and open. It wasn't Larry, but his mother, Lisa, who was there.
"Hey, you two. Heard you had a rough day," Lisa stated, letting them in. Sal rushed to Larry's room, yelling a 'hi, Lisa!' behind him. She only chuckled, shaking her head.
"We did, but I took care of it," Marie assured, smiling at her mother figure.
"Mhm," Lisa hummed, untrusting. Marie slapped a hand to her chest, offended. Lisa only laughed, making Marie chuckle right along with her. "So, what was Sally so excited about?"
"I did his make-up," Marie stated simply. Lisa rose a brow. "On his mask. He was so happy that he had to run down here and show Larry."
"You came pretty fast. He only just got home," Lisa observed, putting her hands on her hips.
"He called us via walkie," Marie clarified. "Sal freaked out and was like 'sis, we gotta show Lar' and ran out of the apartment like a madman."
Lisa chuckled, looking to the bedroom that her son had claimed all those years ago. "Well, I'm glad he's happy. I have to go to work, old pipes acting up."
"Mhm," Marie nodded, sick of only getting cold showers. "Hey, Lisa?"
She turned from the doorway, brow raised.
"Happen to have and clear protective stuff? Sal wanted to keep the design on his mask but it's only blush and stuff."
Lisa's brows furrowed in thought, going through all her tools. "I'll see what I can find."
"You're the best, Mom!" Before Lisa could comment, Maire was gone. She smiled softly, shaking her head and closing the apartment door behind her.
In Larry's room, Sal was having a mini attack as he tried to explain to Larry how cool his mask was.
"Dude, for real. She works magic, man!" Sal claimed, pacing as Larry just grinned in his place on the bed. Marie came through the door, and Larry couldn't contain himself.
"You have a worshiper, Goddess of the Arts," Larry chuckled.
"'Bout damn time," she joked back, flipping her long hair. "Hey, Sal? Lisa is looking for a sealer for you mask, so don't worry bud."
A phone started to ring, heavy metal playing for its ring tone. Larry fished it out of his jeans, looking at the ID. He flipped it open and and hit the green button.
"Sup, Mom," he identified, putting it on speaker. "You're on speaker."
"I wanted to let Marie know that I found some porcelain seal. It's supposed to be for sinks and the like, but it's clean and it'll work. Just gotta grab a paintbrush."
"You're the best, Lisa!" Marie cheered, grin streaking across her face.
"Love you, too, darlin'," she chuckled. "Bye, kids. Don't get into too much trouble."
"Us? Trouble? No way!" Sal joked. They all said their goodbyes and hung up, Sal attacking his sister in a hug, careful not to rub his mask on her. "I'm so happy! It looks so good!"
"You're welcome, human. I require offerings of chocolate and tea to keep this gift," Marie demanded playfully. Sal and Larry fell on their knees, bowing before her.
"Great Goddess of Make-up, please grant us your blessing!" Larry pleaded, a chuckle following after. Marie put her boot on Sal's shoulder, throwing her nose in the air haughtily.
"I suppose you could have it, human. Go, away with you," she ordered, lifting her foot off of Sal and turning on her heel to go raid the stash of tea she left here. Lisa drank coffee and Larry favored energy drinks, so she didn't have worry about them stealing her precious tea. She could hear the boys cracking up as she left, making her let out her own chuckle.