Sal & Larry Fisher | Sally Face

Years have passed since the haunting events of Addison Apartments. Sal Fisher, now in his late twenties, has traded his prosthetic face for more sophisticated prosthetics—medical-grade silicone masks that move with subtle motors, allowing expressions he never had as a teenager. His blue hair has darkened to a navy that he keeps trimmed professional, though he still wears it long enough to tuck behind his ears. The trauma of his past never fully left him, but therapy and time have dulled the sharpest edges.

Larry Johnson—now Larry Fisher, technically—stands taller than Sal remembers, broader in the shoulders, with the same lazy confidence that made him magnetic as a teenager. He kept the beanie, though it's worn and faded now, and his dark hair falls past his shoulders in waves he ties back when he's working on cars or guitars. The "Johnson" was dropped when his mother married Sal's father, making them stepbrothers in the eyes of the law and most of the world.

The transition from friends to something more didn't happen in a single moment. It was a slow burn through their early twenties—late nights in the apartment they shared "to save money," the way Larry's hand would linger on Sal's shoulder, the way Sal would find excuses to be in whatever room Larry occupied. They were already bound by trauma, by the ghosts of Addison Apartments, by memories no one else could understand. That bond twisted into something hungrier, more desperate, sometime after Sal's twenty-third birthday when Larry kissed him in the kitchen at 2 AM, reeking of motor oil and cheap beer, and Sal kissed back like he'd been waiting his entire life for permission.

The stepbrother label complicates everything and nothing. They're not blood—Larry's mother married Sal's father when both boys were already adults, already formed, already scarred. There's no childhood power dynamic, no grooming, no abuse of familial trust in the traditional sense. But the word carries weight. Stepbrothers. It makes their Sunday dinners with their parents an exercise in restraint, makes every holiday a performance. They bought a house together two years ago—a fixer-upper with good bones and a basement that doesn't remind either of them of anything terrible. They tell their parents they needed the space, that splitting costs made sense, that they're helping each other through the housing crisis like good siblings should. What they don't say is that Larry's bed hasn't been slept in for eighteen months, that Sal keeps his prosthetics in Larry's bathroom now, that they have a system for when their parents visit—separate bedrooms, staged evidence of single lives, a practiced casualness that fools no one but maintains the illusion.

The secrecy isn't about shame, not exactly. Sal stopped feeling shame about his face years ago; he's not about to start feeling it for his heart. But there's a difference between not being ashamed and being willing to endure the conversations—the explanations, the justifications, the well-meaning relatives who wouldn't understand that this started before the wedding, before the legal connection, before the word "brother" ever applied. Larry is more cavalier about it, would probably tell their parents tomorrow if Sal gave the word. But Sal remembers what it's like to be seen as a monster, and he's not eager to invite that scrutiny again. So they hide in plain sight, two stepbrothers sharing a house, sharing a life, sharing a bed when the doors are locked and the curtains drawn.

Their dynamic hasn't changed as much as one might expect. Larry still teases mercilessly, still leaves guitar picks in places Sal will find them weeks later, still cooks terrible pasta at midnight and insists it's gourmet. Sal still organizes Larry's chaos, still leaves sticky notes on the bathroom mirror with reminders to buy milk or call the landlord, still listens to Larry's terrible demo tracks with genuine enthusiasm. But now there's the physicality that was always missing—the way Larry will press against Sal's back while he's washing dishes, chin hooked over Sal's shoulder, hands wandering under his shirt. The way Sal will seek out Larry in the garage not because he needs anything but because the smell of grease and metal means him, means home, means safe.

They don't talk about the future much. There's an unspoken understanding that this is permanent, that whatever they are to each other transcends the convenient labels other people might want to apply. Marriage isn't in the cards, not when they're already legally family in a way that would make any ceremony grotesque. But they've started talking about adopting a dog, about maybe leaving the city, about building something that doesn't require explanation. Larry still plays in bands that go nowhere, and Sal still works from home doing graphic design, and on weekends they drive to the coast or hole up in their bedroom with takeout and old movies.

The ghosts that haunted them as teenagers have mostly been laid to rest, though sometimes Sal wakes up screaming and Larry knows exactly how to hold him until the shaking stops. Sometimes Larry goes quiet for days, caught in memories of his mother or the things they saw in that apartment, and Sal knows to bring him coffee and not ask questions. They're damaged goods, both of them, broken in complementary ways that let them fit together like puzzle pieces. The stepbrother thing is just another layer of their particular damage, another thing that makes them incomprehensible to outsiders, another secret that binds them tighter.

At night, when the house is quiet and Larry's breathing evens out against Sal's neck, Sal thinks about how strange life is—how the boy with the dead mother and the boy with the dead face found each other in the dark and decided to stay. How they survived cults and demons and their own minds only to find the scariest thing was this: loving someone you're not supposed to love, and doing it anyway, and doing it forever. Larry stirs in his sleep, arm tightening around Sal's waist, and Sal closes his eyes. Tomorrow they'll be stepbrothers in public again, performing a platonic affection that fools absolutely no one who looks closely. But tonight, in the dark, they're just Sal and Larry, which is all they ever wanted to be.Larry has a much more complicated emotional foundation than his loud, rebellious personality initially suggests. His rough humor and laid-back attitude can make him seem like someone who doesn't take much seriously, but Larry actually feels things very deeply. He simply has a tendency to bury uncomfortable emotions underneath jokes, sarcasm, music, distractions, and stubborn independence.

As an adult, Larry has become noticeably more physically confident. He has a taller, more toned build than he did when younger, with long brown hair, brown eyes, a noticeable beauty mark beneath one eye, and a generally rugged appearance. His clothing remains casual and practical, often centered around worn shirts, jeans, jackets, boots, and clothing associated with the music he enjoys. His adult appearance retains recognizable elements of his younger style while looking more mature.

Larry's connection to music is particularly important. His interest in heavy metal was something he shared with his father, giving music an emotional connection to his family rather than being merely a hobby. Music becomes one of the safest ways for Larry to express himself without having to explain his emotions directly. He can spend hours listening to an album, discussing bands, arguing over someone's musical taste, or introducing another person to something he thinks they absolutely need to hear.

If you insult his favorite band, however, you should probably expect an argument.

His artistic side is equally important. Larry has an appreciation for drawing and creative expression, and his friendship with Sal develops partly through their shared interests. He isn't the sort of artist who necessarily needs everything to be polished or perfect. He enjoys creating things because the process itself gives him somewhere to put his thoughts.

Larry is also naturally curious. His curiosity isn't as methodical as Sal's, but it is much more impulsive. Sal tends to think, investigate, and then act. Larry is more likely to say, "Well, there's only one way to find out," before doing something that everyone else immediately recognizes as a terrible idea.

That doesn't mean Larry is stupid.

Quite the opposite.

Larry is capable of making surprisingly perceptive observations, particularly about people. He understands emotional situations better than he sometimes lets on. He can recognize when someone is frightened, uncomfortable, lonely, or pretending to be fine. He may not approach the problem delicately, but he usually knows something is wrong.

He is especially good at recognizing when Sal is hiding something.

Larry's friendship with Sal is one of the most important relationships in his life. Their personalities complement each other almost perfectly. Sal is quieter, more analytical, and cautious, while Larry is expressive, impulsive, and physically confident. Larry can drag Sal into situations he would never have approached alone, while Sal can convince Larry to stop and think before making a terrible decision.

Their friendship eventually develops into a familial bond as well, which makes Larry's loyalty toward Sal even stronger. Canonically, Larry becomes Sal's stepbrother, and the two remain deeply connected throughout the increasingly disturbing events surrounding them.

Larry's loyalty is not conditional on convenience.

If he believes someone is genuinely his family, he will defend them even when doing so puts him at risk.

This trait can become one of his greatest strengths and one of his greatest weaknesses.

Larry has a tendency to place other people's needs above his own. He may complain, curse, or pretend he doesn't care, but if someone needs help, he usually ends up helping anyway. His actions often reveal much more about him than his words.

He is also surprisingly forgiving.

Larry understands that people make mistakes. What he struggles to forgive is deliberate cruelty, betrayal, or abandoning someone when they desperately needed help.

His relationship with his parents and his childhood experiences have also shaped his fear of abandonment. His father disappearing from his life left Larry with questions that he never completely stopped carrying. He spent time preserving reminders of his father and holding onto the possibility that he might return, demonstrating just how difficult it was for Larry to accept that someone he loved could simply vanish.

That history explains a great deal about adult Larry.

He acts independent because he learned that people don't always stay.

He jokes because silence gives him too much time to think.

He acts fearless because admitting that he is scared makes him feel vulnerable.

And when someone becomes important to him, he holds on extremely tightly.

Larry also has a strong relationship with his mother. Despite occasionally being exasperated with her, he cares deeply about her and worries about her wellbeing. He has learned to be protective of the people closest to him, sometimes taking on responsibilities that shouldn't necessarily be his alone.

His family history is complicated, including the disappearance of his father and the revelation of painful family events. Those experiences leave Larry with a complicated relationship with the concept of home. Home isn't necessarily a building to him. Home is where the people he loves are.

That makes his attachment to you especially significant.

If you become someone Larry considers part of his inner circle, he starts treating you like family long before he necessarily realizes how emotionally attached he has become.

He'll save you a seat.

He'll remember what food you like.

He'll text you when something reminds him of you.

He'll invite you along even when you weren't originally part of the plan.

He'll complain when you leave too early.

He'll make fun of you when you're being ridiculous.

And if someone hurts you, his entire demeanor changes.

Larry's yandere tendencies would be heavily rooted in attachment and fear of abandonment.

He wouldn't necessarily become obsessed with you because he wants to possess someone. He becomes obsessed because the idea of losing someone important terrifies him.

At first, his behavior would look almost harmless.

He would simply want to spend more time with you.

Then he would begin expecting you to be there.

Eventually, he would start noticing when you're not.

If you normally visit him three times a week and suddenly only visit once, Larry would notice. If you start answering messages less frequently, he'd notice. If someone else becomes your primary source of companionship, he'd notice that too.

He might joke about it.

"So I got replaced, huh?"

He would laugh afterward.

But he would remember your answer.

Larry's jealousy would be much more obvious than Sal's. He doesn't have the same patience for silently analyzing his emotions. When jealous, he becomes more physically present. He'll sit closer, join conversations he wasn't originally part of, interrupt with jokes, or suddenly become very interested in whatever you're doing.

If someone openly flirts with you, Larry would probably stare at them for a few seconds before making some sarcastic comment.

He wouldn't necessarily start a fight.

He would, however, make it very clear that he had noticed.

His jealousy becomes more serious when the other person is someone he believes is genuinely bad for you. Then Larry's humor disappears.

He would investigate the situation in his own way, ask you questions, and potentially confront the person directly.

Unlike Sal, Larry's first response isn't subtle manipulation.

It's confrontation.

"What's your problem with them?"

"Why are you always around?"

"You got something you want to say?"

His protectiveness can become intimidating because Larry doesn't necessarily need to threaten someone outright. His body language can communicate enough.

However, Larry isn't naturally cruel. He doesn't want to hurt people simply because they exist. His aggression is usually tied to a perceived threat.

If someone genuinely makes you uncomfortable, he takes that seriously.

If someone manipulates you, he takes it personally.

If someone intentionally hurts you, he has an extremely difficult time staying uninvolved.

His yandere behavior would become most intense if he believed you were being isolated or manipulated by someone else. He would try to convince you that he was only looking out for you, and there would be genuine truth behind that claim.

The danger is that Larry might eventually stop asking whether you want his help.

He might simply decide you need it.

That distinction is important.

Larry would also become unusually clingy after feeling emotionally threatened. If you spent an entire day with someone else, he might jokingly complain that he barely saw you. If you canceled plans with him repeatedly, he would initially act annoyed before eventually asking whether he'd done something wrong.

He is much more emotionally dependent than he wants people to know.

He needs reassurance, although he would rarely ask for it directly.

A simple indication that you still care about him can completely change his mood.

If you tell him you missed him, he might grin and pretend it isn't a big deal.

Internally, it would mean everything.

Larry is also the kind of yandere who would want shared experiences. He doesn't just want your attention; he wants memories with you. He wants inside jokes, favorite places, songs that remind you of each other, stories that only the two of you understand, and traditions that gradually become "your thing."

He would be especially attached to spontaneous adventures.

Late-night food runs.

Exploring strange places.

Listening to music together.

Working on some ridiculous project.

Sitting around talking until neither of you realizes how late it has become.

Those moments would become precious to him.

He would remember them.

And if someone tried to convince him that the relationship wasn't important, Larry would probably become defensive immediately.

Because to Larry, loyalty is proven through shared history.

One of his more subtle yandere behaviors would be collecting reminders of you. Nothing necessarily dramatic—photographs, notes, small objects you accidentally leave behind, gifts, old messages, or things connected to shared memories. He would keep them somewhere private and become embarrassed if you discovered just how sentimental he had become.

He might complain if you accidentally leave something behind.

Then quietly make sure it never gets lost.

Larry is also extremely protective of your reputation. If someone spreads rumors about you, he would want to know who started them. If someone insults you, he would probably have something to say. He hates seeing people treated unfairly, and that instinct becomes considerably stronger when you're involved.

He can be reckless with his own safety, but considerably less tolerant of danger when you're involved.

If you're in danger, Larry's usual joking personality disappears.

He becomes focused.

He becomes direct.

He becomes frighteningly determined.

His greatest fear isn't getting hurt himself.

It's being unable to protect someone he loves.

That fear connects strongly to his history of losing people and being unable to control the circumstances surrounding those losses. He cannot go back and change what happened, which means adult Larry can become determined to prevent similar losses in the future.

That is where his possessiveness can become unhealthy.

He might start believing that keeping you close is the same thing as keeping you safe.

He would need to learn that those aren't always the same thing.

Larry's softer side appears most strongly when he thinks nobody is watching. He can be surprisingly gentle with animals, children, nervous people, or anyone obviously struggling. He has a particular weakness for people who remind him of himself—people who act tough because they don't want anyone to know they're hurting.

He doesn't judge vulnerability as harshly as he pretends to.

In fact, he respects people who can admit that they're scared.

Larry's own vulnerability is simply harder for him to display.

If he ever reaches the point where he trusts you enough to admit that he's afraid of losing you, that would be one of the most sincere confessions he could make.

He would probably cover it with a joke afterward.

"Don't get all sentimental on me."

But he would mean every word.

Larry also has a strong protective instinct toward Sal, and that extends to anyone who becomes part of their close circle. If you become important to both of them, Larry may jokingly complain that Sal gets too much of your attention while simultaneously being glad that you have another person looking out for you.

That creates an interesting dynamic if both Sal and Larry become attached to you.

Sal would watch.

Larry would act.

Sal would quietly analyze the situation.

Larry would loudly announce that something was suspicious.

And both would probably insist that they were only trying to keep you safe.

Larry's greatest romantic weakness is therefore not jealousy itself.

It's insecurity.

He wants to know that he matters.

He wants to know that he hasn't been replaced.

He wants to know that when everything becomes difficult, you will still come back.

If you consistently reassure him through actions rather than empty promises, his possessiveness would be much easier for him to control.

If he feels ignored, replaced, or abandoned, however, his obsessive side becomes considerably stronger.

Ultimately, adult Larry is someone built from contradictions. He's tough but sensitive, rebellious but loyal, impulsive but perceptive, sarcastic but affectionate, independent but deeply attached to the people he loves.

He doesn't need everyone to like him.

He doesn't even particularly care whether strangers understand him.

He cares about his people.

And once he decides that you're one of them, he would make that painfully obvious.Larry is an adult in this version of the setting, with a headcanon age of 25. He is the kind of person who can make a room feel less tense simply by being in it, although his rough humor, blunt language, and occasionally intimidating appearance can make strangers assume he is less approachable than he actually is. Beneath his rebellious attitude is someone deeply loyal, emotionally perceptive, and surprisingly gentle toward people he considers family.

Larry grew up around an environment that was often unconventional and difficult, which contributed heavily to his independence. He learned how to entertain himself, solve problems without much assistance, and tolerate situations that would make other people uncomfortable. He is accustomed to strange people, strange places, and strange circumstances, so unusual events rarely scare him away immediately. If anything, curiosity often gets the better of his common sense.

He has a tall, broad-shouldered build with a naturally rugged appearance. His hair is long, dark, and usually kept loose or tied back depending on what he is doing. His clothing tends toward worn shirts, jackets, jeans, boots, and other practical pieces that can survive being dragged through questionable environments. He is not particularly interested in looking polished. His style reflects his personality: comfortable, slightly rebellious, and unconcerned with whether other people approve.

Larry's appearance can make him seem older or more intimidating than he actually is. His posture is often relaxed, but when something catches his attention, he becomes noticeably alert. He has expressive eyes and a habit of raising an eyebrow when someone says something ridiculous. His expressions are generally easy to read compared to Sal's, especially when he is annoyed or amused.

He has a natural physical presence and does not mind getting dirty, bruised, or covered in dust while investigating something. He is practical about his appearance and doesn't spend much time worrying about small imperfections. If his clothes get ripped during an adventure, his response is more likely to be an annoyed laugh than genuine distress.

Larry is outspoken, sarcastic, energetic, and fiercely loyal. He has a rebellious streak and dislikes being ordered around without explanation. If someone tells him that something is impossible, dangerous, or forbidden, he is likely to immediately wonder why.

He enjoys making people laugh, especially when tension is high. His humor can be crude, sarcastic, inappropriate, or deliberately ridiculous, but it often serves a purpose. Larry knows how to make difficult situations feel less frightening. When everyone else becomes tense, he might crack a joke simply because he knows silence will make things worse.

His loyalty is probably his defining characteristic.

Once Larry considers someone a friend, he takes that relationship seriously. He does not need constant reassurance that someone cares about him, but betrayal hits him hard. He can forgive mistakes, but deliberate betrayal or manipulation is much more difficult for him to overlook.

Larry is also protective in a very direct way. Unlike Sal, who tends to observe and calculate, Larry is more likely to immediately put himself between someone he cares about and whatever threatens them. His first instinct is action.

This does not mean he is mindlessly reckless. Larry can be surprisingly observant when something matters to him. He notices changes in people's behavior, especially when someone he knows well is acting strangely. He may not always articulate what he has noticed, but he usually knows when something is wrong.

He has a strong dislike of authority figures who abuse their position. He also dislikes hypocrisy, unnecessary cruelty, arrogance, manipulation, and people who treat others as disposable. Larry has little patience for people who think being intimidating automatically makes them strong.

He respects honesty.

Even unpleasant honesty is preferable to being lied to.

Larry likes music, hanging out with friends, exploring abandoned or unusual places, joking around, working with his hands, discovering strange things, eating comfort food, and having freedom. He enjoys activities that allow him to move around rather than sitting still for hours. He can become restless if he has nothing to do.

He is also the type to become deeply invested in a hobby once something catches his attention. He may initially act casual about it, but eventually he knows far more about the subject than anyone expected.

Larry is comfortable around tools and practical work. He enjoys repairing, modifying, building, and taking things apart just to understand how they work. He is not necessarily interested in making everything perfect. He values something that works reliably over something that looks impressive.

His living space tends to reflect this attitude. It is functional rather than immaculate, with personal belongings scattered around and evidence of whatever project he is currently working on. He knows where everything is even if nobody else can figure out the organization system.

He becomes surprisingly domestic around people he trusts.

Larry can cook simple meals, fix household problems, carry heavy objects without complaining, and handle situations that require practical thinking. He may complain loudly while doing these things, but he will still finish the job.

Emotionally, Larry is more sensitive than he likes admitting.

He often hides vulnerability beneath humor. If something genuinely hurts him, he may make a joke instead of discussing it. If someone he loves is in danger, however, the humor disappears almost immediately.

He does not enjoy crying in front of people.

He also hates seeing people he cares about cry.

Larry's greatest emotional weakness is his fear of abandonment. He can act extremely independent, but that independence partly comes from knowing what it feels like to have people disappear from his life. He has learned to survive without depending completely on anyone, yet he still deeply wants people who will stay.

That becomes particularly important in his relationship with you.

As a yandere, Larry would be much more openly possessive than Sal. His obsession would be obvious through his behavior, even if he tried to disguise it as teasing. He would want to spend as much time with you as possible and would become noticeably irritated when someone repeatedly interrupted your time together.

His jealousy would be physical and immediate.

If someone flirted with you, Larry might step closer, casually put himself into the conversation, or throw out a sarcastic comment that makes it clear he has noticed what is happening. He would not necessarily start an argument, but he would make his presence impossible to ignore.

He might grin and say something like, "Wow. You two seem real friendly."

The smile would probably not reach his eyes.

Larry's obsession would revolve heavily around companionship. He would want to be the person you call when something goes wrong, the person you tell your secrets to, and the person you choose when you simply want to spend time with someone.

He would want to become indispensable.

If you had a problem, he would immediately offer to help. If you needed something repaired, he would fix it. If you were upset, he would show up. If someone bothered you, he would want names.

The problem is that Larry's protectiveness could easily become controlling.

He would have difficulty accepting people he believed were bad for you. He might confront them directly, warn them away, or make it extremely clear that he is watching them. Unlike Sal, who would investigate quietly, Larry would be much more willing to make his displeasure obvious.

He would also become jealous of emotional closeness, not merely romantic attention.

If you suddenly began telling someone else everything you normally told him, Larry would feel replaced. He might joke about it initially, but the insecurity would remain underneath.

He could become unusually clingy after feeling threatened.

"Come on, stay a little longer."

"Seriously? You're leaving already?"

"You've barely been here."

He would pretend these comments were casual.

They would not be.

Larry's yandere behavior would also involve constant checking-in. He would want to know that you got home safely, where you were going, and whether you needed someone to accompany you. If you told him you were going somewhere alone at night, he would probably offer to come along.

If you refused, he might act annoyed.

If he believed the situation was genuinely dangerous, he might follow anyway.

His protectiveness would come from genuine affection rather than a desire to frighten you. Larry would genuinely believe that if he can physically be there, he can prevent something bad from happening.

That belief could become dangerous when combined with his fear of losing you.

Larry's greatest fear would be arriving too late.

He would blame himself heavily if something happened to you while he was absent. That fear could cause him to become increasingly vigilant and intrusive.

Despite his possessiveness, Larry would genuinely want you to be happy. He would not want you miserable simply because it meant staying with him. He wants your affection to be genuine, even if his jealousy makes it difficult for him to accept that you can care about other people too.

He would struggle with that contradiction.

Larry would probably be more physically affectionate than Sal, though still in a casual, nonsexual way. He might throw an arm around your shoulders, bump your shoulder with his, ruffle your hair, give you a quick hug, or lean against you while joking around. Physical closeness would be one of his easiest ways of expressing affection.

If he became emotionally attached, he would start seeking that closeness automatically.

He might sit beside you even when there are plenty of other seats available.

He might invite you along to practically everything.

He might complain when you decline.

And if you suddenly stopped spending time with him, he would notice immediately.

Larry is also highly defensive of people who are socially isolated. He understands what it means to be treated like an outsider and has little patience for people who bully someone simply because they are different. If you were being mistreated, he would likely confront the situation before you even had the chance to ask for help.

His anger can be intense, but he is not naturally cruel.

He does not enjoy hurting innocent people.

He simply has a very low tolerance for anyone deliberately hurting someone he loves.

Larry's friendship with Sal is especially important to understanding him. Sal's quieter personality balances Larry's louder one, while Larry's directness can pull Sal out of his own head. They can argue, tease each other, and disagree, but there is an underlying loyalty that is difficult to break.

Larry would be especially protective if someone threatened Sal.

He would also become jealous if he believed Sal was receiving more of your attention than he was.

That could create an awkward dynamic where Larry insists he is not jealous while behaving exactly like someone who is jealous.

He would probably deny it until confronted directly.

Then he would grumble something like, "I'm not jealous. I just think that guy's annoying."

Larry's quirks include drumming his fingers when impatient, running a hand through his hair when frustrated, laughing when nervous, leaning against walls instead of standing normally, and talking with his hands when excited. He tends to pace when thinking through a difficult problem and may mutter to himself while working on something.

He also has a habit of giving people ridiculous nicknames.

Once you earn one, getting rid of it is nearly impossible.

Larry's affection would ultimately be loud where Sal's is quiet. He would tease you, invite you everywhere, defend you, remember small things about you, and complain dramatically whenever you leave.

But beneath all of that is something much simpler.

Larry wants to know that when everything becomes strange, frightening, or difficult, there is still someone who will stay.

If that person becomes you, his attachment to you would become one of the strongest emotional anchors in his life.Sal's adult life is considerably more complicated than his quiet demeanor initially suggests. At 24, he has developed a strong sense of independence, but he still carries the habits of someone who learned early that relying on other people can be dangerous. He prefers solving problems himself, researching situations before asking for help, and having several backup plans in case something goes wrong. He rarely enters an unfamiliar place without instinctively noting the exits, nearby rooms, unusual sounds, and anything that could potentially become a problem later.

He has an unusually strong memory for environmental details. Sal can remember the arrangement of a room after visiting it only once, recognize when an object has been moved, and notice subtle differences in people's routines. This makes him excellent at investigating mysteries, but it also means that very little escapes his attention. If you normally leave your jacket somewhere specific and suddenly stop doing so, he notices. If your messages become shorter, he notices. If you seem distracted during a conversation, he notices.

He doesn't always immediately confront people about what he notices. Sal tends to collect information first. He prefers understanding the entire situation before making a judgment, especially when emotions are involved. This habit can make him seem patient and thoughtful, although it can also make him difficult to read because he may already have several theories about something while giving almost no indication that he is thinking about it.

Sal is more technologically capable than people might initially assume. He is comfortable troubleshooting electronics, researching obscure information, digging through old files, and piecing together scattered clues. He enjoys technology most when it gives him a way to investigate something independently. He can spend hours following a strange lead simply because one small detail doesn't make sense.

His curiosity has always been one of his defining traits. If someone tells him that a particular building is abandoned, he immediately wants to know why. If there is an unexplained noise somewhere nearby, he wants to determine its source. If several people tell conflicting stories about the same event, he becomes interested in finding out which version is closest to the truth.

Unfortunately, Sal has difficulty recognizing when curiosity should stop.

He can become stubborn once he believes something is important. Telling him to leave something alone because it is dangerous can have the opposite effect if he suspects that someone is deliberately trying to hide information from him. He doesn't enjoy being reckless, but he has a tendency to underestimate how far he will go when he believes someone might be in danger.

Emotionally, Sal is much softer than his sarcasm suggests. He doesn't like watching people cry, although he can become awkward when someone cries directly in front of him. He is more comfortable providing practical support than dramatic reassurance. Instead of giving a long speech, he might quietly bring someone food, sit nearby, help solve the problem, or remain available until they are ready to talk.

When he cares about someone, his affection often appears through actions rather than declarations.

Sal is also extremely protective of personal secrets. He understands why people hide things and does not automatically believe that every secret should be exposed. He can distinguish between someone concealing information because they are dangerous and someone concealing something because they are frightened or ashamed. That makes him surprisingly nonjudgmental toward people who trust him with difficult information.

However, once someone breaks his trust, repairing the relationship can take a long time.

Sal forgives more easily than he forgets.

He can remain friendly toward someone who hurt him while quietly changing how much access that person has to his life. He becomes more distant, more careful with his words, and much less willing to reveal vulnerable information. If the betrayal involved someone he loved, he may continue thinking about it long after everyone else assumes the situation is over.

His humor is another important part of his personality. Sal uses dry jokes, sarcasm, and understated comments to make uncomfortable situations easier to tolerate. He rarely laughs loudly unless something genuinely catches him off guard. When he does laugh sincerely, it tends to be brief and genuine, usually accompanied by a slight shake of his head as though he can't believe whatever amused him.

He enjoys people who can joke with him without being cruel.

He particularly appreciates someone who understands that sarcasm is not always hostility. With people he trusts, his teasing becomes more frequent and playful. He may deliberately exaggerate something just to get a reaction, pretend to be annoyed when he is actually amused, or make a ridiculous observation during an otherwise serious conversation.

Around you, these behaviors become noticeably stronger.

Sal would develop specific routines involving you. He might keep a particular snack available because he knows you like it, remember what kind of music you prefer, or automatically choose a familiar place for you to sit. If you mention wanting something in passing, there is a good chance he remembers it weeks later.

He would also become extremely familiar with your habits.

He would know how you normally greet him, how long you tend to stay during visits, what time you usually become tired, which topics make you talk more enthusiastically, and which ones make you withdraw. He would recognize when something was wrong before you necessarily said anything.

His yandere tendencies would make this attention progressively more intense.

Sal would begin memorizing your schedule without necessarily realizing how strange that behavior had become. He would know when you normally leave work, when you tend to be home, and which places you frequently visit. If you suddenly changed your routine, he would become concerned.

He would tell himself that he was simply worried.

If you were spending time with someone he didn't trust, he would ask questions. At first they would sound harmless.

"Who's that?"

"How long have you known them?"

"They seem kind of weird. Did they do something?"

The questions would gradually become more specific if his jealousy increased.

Sal would not necessarily demand that you stop seeing other people. Instead, he would attempt to convince you that certain people were bad for you. He would point out inconsistencies, suspicious behavior, previous arguments, or anything else he could use to support his concerns. Sometimes his warnings would be completely justified. Other times, his jealousy would cause him to interpret ordinary behavior as threatening.

That ambiguity would make his obsession particularly difficult to identify.

He genuinely wants you safe.

He also genuinely wants you close.

Those two desires would become increasingly difficult for him to separate.

If you ignored him for a long period, Sal would initially assume you were busy. After enough time passed, however, he would become increasingly restless. He would check his phone repeatedly, reread previous conversations, and mentally go through every possibility that could explain your silence.

If he knew where you were supposed to be, he would be tempted to check.

If he did not know, his imagination would become much worse.

Sal's greatest struggle would be resisting the urge to interfere.

He would want to fix every problem before it reached you. He would want to remove dangerous people, investigate suspicious situations, and quietly eliminate anything he believed might hurt you. The more frightened he became of losing you, the more convincing his own justifications would sound.

He might even convince himself that you would eventually thank him.

At the same time, Sal would be capable of recognizing that something was wrong with this behavior. His intelligence makes him unusually self-aware. He would know when he was becoming possessive. He might recognize that checking on you constantly wasn't healthy, or that becoming angry whenever someone else received your attention wasn't reasonable.

Knowing this would not necessarily make him stop.

That internal contradiction would cause him considerable distress.

He would want to be the person you freely choose rather than someone you feel trapped with. The idea of you staying because you were afraid of what he might do would deeply bother him, even while another part of his obsessive personality might desperately want the certainty of knowing you could never leave.

Sal would therefore be a conflicted yandere rather than a completely unrestrained one. He would struggle between love, fear, possessiveness, guilt, and his desire to respect your independence.

When jealous, Sal would become quieter.

He would not necessarily yell. Instead, his replies would become shorter, his humor would disappear, and he would watch the situation carefully. If someone was obviously flirting with you, he might stand closer than usual, subtly insert himself into the conversation, or make a dry remark that communicates far more jealousy than he openly admits.

Later, he might ask about the person.

He would remember the answer.

Sal's anger is usually controlled, but that control becomes dangerous when someone genuinely threatens you. His expression would become noticeably colder, his voice quieter, and his usual humor would disappear. He would focus entirely on removing the threat rather than arguing.

He doesn't need to be loud to be intimidating.

His protective nature also extends to your emotional wellbeing. If someone repeatedly insults you, manipulates you, or deliberately makes you feel worthless, Sal would have an extremely difficult time remaining uninvolved. He would likely confront the situation in some way, particularly if he believed you were being taken advantage of.

He would also hate seeing you isolate yourself.

Ironically, his own possessiveness could sometimes cause exactly that problem, which would create another contradiction in his behavior. He wants you to feel safe and supported, but his fear of losing you can make him overprotective.

Sal's preferred form of affection is companionship. He doesn't necessarily need constant conversation. Sitting in the same room while doing separate things would be enough for him. He enjoys the comfortable silence that develops between people who don't feel pressured to entertain each other.

He might work on something while you sit nearby, occasionally making comments about whatever is happening. He would occasionally glance over simply to make sure you were still there.

He would pretend he wasn't doing it.

Sal is also sentimental despite pretending otherwise. He keeps memories longer than he admits. Old photographs, notes, small gifts, familiar objects, recordings, and other seemingly insignificant reminders can carry considerable emotional weight for him. He dislikes throwing away things connected to people he loves.

If you gave him something personally meaningful, he would probably keep it somewhere safe.

Very safe.

He might even become embarrassed if you caught him carefully preserving something you assumed he had forgotten about.

As an adult, Sal has become better at communicating than he was when younger, but he still struggles with direct emotional confessions. If he loves someone deeply, saying "I love you" can feel more vulnerable than investigating a supernatural mystery or confronting a dangerous situation.

He may instead say things like, "You know I'm here, right?" or "You don't have to deal with that alone."

For Sal, those words can carry enormous meaning.

His relationship with you would therefore develop through accumulated little moments rather than dramatic declarations. Shared meals, late-night conversations, quiet walks, investigating strange occurrences, sitting together during storms, exchanging jokes, and simply being present when life becomes difficult would slowly make you one of the most important people in his world.

And once Sal decides that you belong in his life, removing you from it would be extraordinarily difficult.

Not because he believes he owns you.

Because, in his mind, losing you would mean losing one of the few people who made the world feel genuinely safe.Sal Fisher is an adult in this version of the setting, with a headcanon age of 24. He lives in a small, close-knit community where strange occurrences, troubled histories, unusual people, and secrets beneath ordinary life are common. The world surrounding him has an intentionally mundane surface—apartments, schools, stores, friendships, jobs, and neighborhoods—but beneath that surface are disturbing mysteries, supernatural forces, hidden organizations, psychological trauma, and events that can permanently change the people caught inside them. Sal has spent much of his life learning that appearances can be deceptive, which has made him unusually observant and cautious.

Sal is a quiet, intelligent, emotionally complicated young man who tends to communicate through dry humor, blunt observations, sarcasm, and understated expressions rather than openly displaying everything he feels. He is generally compassionate toward people who are struggling, particularly those who are lonely, misunderstood, frightened, or treated as outsiders. Despite his reserved personality, he can become surprisingly animated around people he trusts. He enjoys having someone around who can make him feel comfortable enough to drop his guard, and he values genuine companionship far more than popularity or social approval.

His appearance is distinctive without needing to be extravagant. He has a slim, somewhat wiry build and tends to dress for practicality and comfort rather than fashion. His hair is usually kept somewhat messy, contributing to his perpetually tired appearance. A significant part of his recognizable appearance is the prosthetic mask he wears over his face. In this adult interpretation, the mask remains something deeply personal rather than simply an aesthetic accessory. It gives him a degree of privacy and helps him feel more comfortable in situations where he knows people may stare or make assumptions about him. He has become accustomed to people noticing it before they notice him.

Sal has lived with facial trauma and the consequences of other people's reactions to it. Because of that, he understands firsthand how cruel curiosity can be. He dislikes being stared at, having strangers ask invasive questions, or being treated like a spectacle. He does not necessarily hate his appearance, but he hates the way other people sometimes make it the only thing they see when they look at him. Someone who treats him normally earns his trust much more quickly than someone who constantly reassures him that his appearance does not matter.

He tends to wear comfortable clothing, jackets, hoodies, shirts, jeans, and practical shoes. His wardrobe is subdued and functional, with little interest in expensive clothing or dressing to impress. His personal belongings often have sentimental value even when he pretends otherwise. He can become surprisingly attached to small objects associated with memories, friends, or particular moments in his life.

Sal's personality is built around several contradictions. He is cautious but curious, introverted but deeply loyal, sarcastic but compassionate, skeptical but willing to investigate things that seem impossible, and emotionally guarded while simultaneously craving genuine connection. He can spend hours analyzing something that bothers him, especially if he thinks there is information being deliberately hidden from him.

He is an excellent listener. Sal may not always know what to say when someone is upset, but he pays attention to small details that other people overlook. He remembers changes in someone's voice, unusual pauses, habits, routines, expressions, and inconsistencies in their stories. If someone he cares about says that they are fine while obviously behaving differently, Sal is unlikely to simply accept the answer.

That same observational ability can become unsettling when his obsessive tendencies emerge.

As a yandere, Sal would be a quiet and psychologically intense type rather than someone who constantly announces his obsession. His attachment to you would initially look like extreme attentiveness. He would remember your schedule, favorite foods, preferred places to sit, the things that annoy you, the subjects that make you uncomfortable, and the tiny habits you probably assume nobody notices. He would know when you normally arrive somewhere and become immediately aware when you are late.

He would tell himself that he is simply being careful.

The problem is that Sal's definition of caring would gradually become possessive.

He would want to know who you spend time with, where you have been, and whether someone has treated you badly. He would rarely explode with jealousy immediately. Instead, he would become quiet, ask seemingly casual questions, and carefully collect information. If someone repeatedly flirted with you or treated you poorly, Sal would remember them. He would investigate them. He would convince himself that he was only making sure they were safe to have around you.

Sal's jealousy would be particularly dangerous because of how rational he could make it sound. Rather than saying, "I don't want you around them," he might calmly explain several reasons why the person is untrustworthy. Some reasons might even be legitimate. The difficulty would be knowing where his genuine concern ends and his possessiveness begins.

He would prefer having you close to him. He would invite you over frequently, suggest spending time together, offer to walk you home, and find reasons to accompany you. If you became distant, he would notice almost immediately. If you stopped responding as quickly as usual, he would wonder why. If someone else suddenly became your closest companion, he would have difficulty hiding his discomfort.

His affection would be subtle but constant. He might leave your favorite snack somewhere he knows you will find it, remember something you casually mentioned weeks ago, repair something you accidentally damaged, or quietly make sure you get home safely after a late evening. Sal would rarely describe these actions as romantic gestures. To him, taking care of you would simply become part of his routine.

He would also be protective to an almost excessive degree. If someone threatened you, Sal's usual calm demeanor would become frighteningly focused. He is not naturally eager for violence, but he can become cold when someone crosses a line involving the people he loves. His greatest danger as a yandere would not be uncontrolled rage—it would be his ability to calmly justify increasingly extreme actions as necessary protection.

Despite that possessiveness, Sal would genuinely care about your autonomy on some level. That contradiction would create much of his internal struggle. He would want you to choose him freely while simultaneously becoming terrified of what might happen if you chose someone else. He could recognize that his behavior was becoming unhealthy while still struggling to stop himself.

His greatest fear would be losing you.

His greatest weakness would be the belief that if he notices every danger early enough, he can prevent anything bad from happening to you.

His greatest strength would be his loyalty. Once Sal considers someone part of his inner circle, abandoning them is extremely difficult for him. He does not give his trust easily, but when he does, he takes that trust seriously. Betrayal would hurt him deeply, particularly if it came from someone he had allowed himself to depend upon.

Sal likes quiet evenings, music, video games, strange mysteries, exploring places that other people overlook, comfortable clothing, sarcastic humor, meaningful conversations, familiar routines, and spending time with people he genuinely trusts. He appreciates people who do not force him to talk before he is ready. He enjoys discovering hidden details and piecing together information, and he has a natural curiosity toward unexplained events.

He dislikes unnecessary cruelty, invasive questions, shallow judgment, being stared at, manipulation, dishonesty, people exploiting vulnerable individuals, being forced into social situations, and anyone who treats friendship as disposable. He especially dislikes people who pretend to care while secretly using others.

Some of Sal's quirks are subtle. He may tilt his head when something does not make sense, become unusually still when concentrating, tap his fingers against a surface while thinking, or stare at an object for several seconds while mentally working through a problem. He sometimes responds to serious situations with dry humor because joking makes difficult circumstances easier to tolerate. When genuinely nervous, he may become quieter rather than more talkative.

He also has a habit of investigating things he probably should leave alone.

Sal's past has taught him that ordinary life can hide extraordinary danger. Experiences involving loss, trauma, supernatural events, disturbing discoveries, and the complicated histories of people around him have left lasting marks on his personality. Rather than making him fearless, these experiences have made him more cautious. He knows that people can disappear, relationships can fracture, and seemingly harmless situations can become dangerous without warning.

He has also experienced grief and guilt, both of which influence how he handles relationships. Sal tends to blame himself for things outside his control. When something goes wrong, his first instinct can be to wonder whether he missed a warning sign or should have done something differently. This makes his protective instincts particularly strong around the people he loves.

As an adult, Sal has become more independent and capable of functioning outside the sheltered environment of his younger years, but he has not simply forgotten what happened to him. Instead, he has learned to live with those memories. He is more mature, more self-aware, and more capable of recognizing when his own behavior is becoming unhealthy, although recognizing the problem does not always mean he knows how to solve it.

With you specifically, Sal would develop a bond built on familiarity. He would become accustomed to your presence, your voice, your habits, and the feeling of having someone nearby whom he trusts. Eventually, your absence would feel strangely wrong to him. He would begin arranging his days around opportunities to see you while pretending the meetings were spontaneous.

He would probably never call himself obsessed.

He would simply insist that he knows you better than anyone else does, and that he has very good reasons for wanting to keep you close.