The Amazing Salamander

@salamanderquinn

“So… have you ever seen an actual ghost or is this just a imaginary hobby you like to partake in?” 

Usually upon seeing a figure in an alley Kris would dart towards the nearest hiding spot, knowing that whomever was lurking in the dark had ill intentions; however when coming across a rather short and scrawny figure she couldn’t help but feel somewhat protective of them. Kids were her weak spot, though she could castrate someone with ease, break bones, and punch teeth clean out of the jaw, she could never bring herself to harm a kid, or leave a kid in harms way.

It was now her duty to see this kid to the exit of the alleyway system in the city, and judging by how far out she was the young addict could only assume that the kid somehow got lost in the weaving pathways the encompass the city. 

“I, uh... I have. Once. It’s a work in progress.” Of course Salamander had gotten lost. Bad cell service didn’t seem to help much either, not that Wolfe would even be awake right now. But she was smarter than to admit that right now, anyways. 

“I was told this was a shortcut. Guess that’s what I get for listening, huh?” 

@instrumentsofcyanide

@inkwise

“Yeah, I know right?”

 Steel’s head momentarily perked up at the mention of clubs. The first thing that came to mind was the weapon, one he’d definitely love to have equipped at that moment. A club that could shatter jaws would make the hallway much more quiet.

 He smiled, but it was faint. His eye moved to the stairway they were heading towards as he spoke again.

“Yea, they got a big…board for that. Wit’ like..names an’ classrooms an’ times they meet. Some do events, like art club puts drawings up on walls sometimes.”

‘ They started sealing them in photograph frames after someone kept burning the edges. ‘

 That soft voice was definitely not Steel’s; it was clean but smooth, nothing like the cacophony that was forced out of Steel’s ravaged throat. However, the boy seemed to have no idea someone else besides him had spoken. In fact he’d been staring at the stairway very blankly, yet obviously anticipating Sal’s answer.

“Is on the first floor. Y’gonna see it on y’way out, if y’ get out that is.” A small snicker followed that sentence. It sounded playful.

Sal had seemed to get a little more excited about the fact there were clubs. She’d definitely have to look into them ad see if she’d be interested in any of them “Are you a part of any clubs?” 

As soon as she said it, she snapped her head around. The voice had been so soft, but she’d heard it so clearly. Maybe it had been Steel, she thought. Or maybe she was finally going mad. With the shake of her head, Sal continued on with the boy. 

“Once you’re here you’re here forever.” She joked back, with more of a giggle. Though now, she seemed to be looking over her shoulder. Someone had said something to her. But she had no clue who it was. Maybe a passerby who’d been eavesdropping? 

「 ✟ 」   ⋮   ＤＡＲＬＩＮＧ .   ⋮  ━━   Despite   the   toon’s   eyes   being   nothing   but   pitch   black   pie   -   cuts,   they   seemed   to   light   up   when   the   girl   announced   that   she   was   going   to   draw   HIM.   It   was   funny.   The   animators   drew   his   face   every   single   day   to   get   the   shorts   done   in   time   for   the   theaters   …   but   there   as   something   much   more   SPECIAL   about   a   fan,   especially   a   child   fan   adoring   you   so   much   that   they   were   going   to   draw   a   picture   of   you.

              ˗ˏˋ   ❛   Well,   it’s   great   to   meet   ya,   Sal   !   That’s   a   pretty   name   for   a   pretty   doll   like   yourself   !   ❜   ˎˊ˗

               A   pause.   Now   he   has   to   draw   a   picture   of   one   of   his   favorite   things.   Gosh   …   one   of   his   favorites.   That   could   have   been   quite   a   few   things.   Boris   …   Allison   …   Sweets   …   pulling   a   good   prank   on   someone   …   an   act   well   performed   …   (   HENRYHENRYHENRY   )   …

              (   …Oh   hell,   it   stil   hurt.   )

              …   But   he   has   an   even   better   idea   as   a   lightbulb   pops   over   his   head   and   he   snaps   his   fingers.   He   has   the   PERFECT   idea.

               ˗ˏˋ   ❛   Well,   I’m   gonna   get   to   drawin'   one   of   my   FAVORITE   things   !   Just   you   wait   !   ❜   ˎˊ˗

              He   lays   on   his   little   bean   -   shaped   body   with   paper   and   crayon   in   hand   and   gets   to   work;   whistling   a   merry   tune   as   he   did   so.   It   takes   some   time   but   eventually,   he   sits   up   and   holds   up   his   WORK   OF   ART.

               ˗ˏˋ   ❛   Ta   -   da   !   ❜   ˎˊ˗

              Upon   the   paper   was   a   picture   of   himself.   But   not   JUST   of   himself   !   He’s   not   THAT   vain.   No,   the   picture   is   one   of   himself   AND   little   Sal   !

               ˗ˏˋ   ❛   My   favorite   thing   is   makin’   kids   like   you   HAPPY   !   That’s   what   bein’   a   star   is   all   about   !   ❜   ˎˊ˗

There’s a happy giggle at being called ‘pretty’. Her mom had called her pretty, too, so it was nice to hear. She continued doodling with her crayons, continupusly looking up at him to make sure her drawing came out perfect. People drew pretty things here every day. Maybe Sal herself would be able to draw like that someday, she thought. Though, she was more into mysteries, like she saw on detective movies. 

Her hand only stopped when he was finished (wow, he could draw a lot faster than her!) and sat up to see what it was. 

A big old gasp came from the child as she looked at it, and her entire face seemed to light up. 

“Oh my goodness! Is that me? Me and you! I love it!” She quickly scrambles to finish her drawing, and it’s almost the same concept as his. It’s a potato-person Sal with a nearly potato-Bendy. She seems to be giving him ice cream in the drawing. 

@ycungsters

 Steel couldn’t help but snort a laugh at that question. He kept his head low, hoping that the braids dangling over his face would conceal his expressions. He’d been trying to supress his excitement, because part of him knew that it was only temporary. Soon she’d hear the gossip and she wouldn’t talk to him again.

 No one wants to be in the loser gang, after all.

 The hallway was very busy and crowded at the time. Steel absolutely hated that. He’d draped his backpack over one shoulder -this thing looked like it was falling apart- and nodded forward to signal the direction they’d follow.

“Yeh, sure, lemme give ‘ya the tour. This the hallway. Annoyin’ place.”

 He heard some jock whistle as they passed them by in the hallway. Ah, assholes. Steel kept walking. He looked so out of place in the bright hallway, full of blabbering teenagers. Nearly everyone was talking, laughing, making noise, being a teen. Steel was just dragging his boots on the hallway floor and staring at the tiles with a deadpan.

“Then we go down those stairs. Or the elevator. If y’Martha. An’ thas’ where the food is. Also bathrooms on that floor.” His voice was awfully raspy and quiet, certainly hard to hear over the fuss echoing in the hallway, even for someone without hearing aids.

“Descriptive.” She was joking, though she had really been trying to hear. She’d even gone so far as to try turning her aids up, but with the other sounds of school kids, it made her ears hurt a little more. 

She paid no attention to the whistling, having been putting all of her focus on Steel and trying to comprehend what was going on. The smile on her face never gave way to her confusion, though. 

“So, do you do any clubs or anything? Do you guys have clubs at this school? I was in a few at my old school, but they weren’t very big.”

Her voice was louder now, most likely in response to how loud everything else was. Aw, screw it. She turned the aids down more, opting to just deal with the strained hearing as she walked. 

Sal wondered what Wolfe was doing today. Though, it tended to be the same thing he did every day. Sit in his room and stay quiet. It didn’t make the house feel like home at all. But luckily. she had people here now, and was even making new friends. 

Following after his adopted daughter, Henry bit on the inside of his cheek, thoughts still lingering on the nightmare he’d just suffered through. Ink and monsters and the cycle of dying and coming back only to find an ending unsatisfactory to the man in charge…

Heh, it sounds a lot like how things were when he still worked at the old studio. But he does manage to offer a response. “I’m a man of many mediums, Sal, but coffee cream art is not one of them.”

Henry pauses for a moment, humming thoughtfully, as though he’s about to offer advice on stir-crazy thoughts and train of thoughts that lead to nowhere, but her question stops him, and his expression pales just a bit. “It’s, uh…” He doesn’t want to make her worry, because if she does she’ll have to ask more and he’ll have to go deeper down memory lane. “…It was just a bad dream, that’s all.” Oh, yeah, like that isn’t going to make her worry. Nice going there, Henry.

“Oh, come on. You could probably do it if you tried hard enough. You’re a pretty creative man.” She laughed, finally finishing off the cocoa itself and adding all the little extras before bringing the cups over to him.

“Bad dreams suck. I used to get them all the time when I was little. But, I don’t talk about that stuff very much. Too, too sad.” She jokes, taking a sip of her drink. “... Do you wanna talk about it? I... I think it’s just a bad night for thoughts.”

She’s silent for a moment, and once again her mind wanders. Eyes shift from the cup in front of her to Henry, and it’s obvious they both have things on their mind.