Because

So... my shattering happened... kind of sucked a little harder than I thought it was gonna. Or... a lot harder maybe... it sucked. It sucked real hard.

It started off fine. A bunch of my fellow masks, peers I had worked with mainly, came in to participate. I'd name a few but they tend to get pissy for using their actual names. It makes them less faceless having a proper name.

Out of the non-mask friends, or at least out of the non-obscure and blog-less ones, attending were Ivan, Maggot, Nat, Sloth, Jack, Picasso, the Fire, Devil, and John. Most of those are Free Market home bodies though. They didn't exactly have to go out of there way to be here. Again... most of them. Picasso, Maggot, and Ivan were all kind enough to take a day or two off of very important assignments to come see me for this. Jack claims he abandoned something important to be here but that kid likes to lie through his teeth so... whatever.

Kind of wish Fracture could have been there but... well I guess he kind of was... We'll get to that.

So things started well. Everyone, who could, was talking and reminiscing. Reflecting on the days gone by that led us all here. Lamenting time spent apart. Being reminded of why we spent so much time apart from some of these people. Reunion stuff essential.

Right up until our late arrival made it, Ivan. He took off with Nat and we didn't see them again until well into the middle of the ceremony. And when they did arrive they look exhausted, sweaty, and frustrated... it was awkward.

Late or not, they both got to put their mark on my mask.

I should back track and explain, or maybe re-explain, that.

Essentially, all the Rite of Shattering ceremony is, is everyone gathering in one room and passing the decommissioned mask's mask [that is to say my mask] around. Everyone it goes to either cuts the mask or, if they disapprove of the ceremony or just don't like me, they can visibly abstain. Naturally, the more people there to cut at the mask, the easier the final step of shattering the mask against my face is so it pays to be on good terms with your fellow mask or to at least have a lot of friends willing to show up for this.

Most people cut into my mask... the rare exception being the ultra traditionalists among my mask buddy's who would probably refuse me the shattering rite outright if they could.

The mask passed to everyone at stopped at my Shatterer for this event, Maggot. Its mandatory that the shatterer be another mask. And it's traditional that that mask be something to the effect of a Mentor or a pupil. Duckies.... gone now. So that just left my old ward Maggot.

Picking a good shatterer is extra important. Usually the mask is far from ready to break by the time it gets to the shatterer and it's the shatterers job to make sure its cut, cracked, and damaged enough to brake when it hits your face... you know, assuming they like you. If you choose poorly, they can always abstain from damaging the mask themselves and bash the fuck out of your face until it breaks that way.

The mask reached Maggot and suddenly everything went black, save for a single light shining over Maggot. Which wasn't supposed to happen mind you. Maggot looked around confused when suddenly Duckie ran in out of nowhere and sucker punched Maggot in the face and out of the light, ripping my mask away in the process.

The Duckie turned to me with a wide crooked grin.

"Looks like someone thinks they get to stop being a Mask! Ha! What in the nine fucking hells make your stupid fucking ass think I would ever let this stupid fucking ritual go down? Being a mask in a life long Oath! Only way out of this is death. By everyone is already here so I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna shove this in your mouth so deep you'll gag, and then I'm gonna pull it down as hard as I can and we'll see if your jaw snaps off before the mask snaps in two! In fact, I'm feeling so merciful that if it snaps first, you get to live," he said grabbing me by the hair and pulling my head back forcibly, mask held up to my face ready to bash through my teeth if I didn't open up to let the mask in.

That's when there was a gun shot out of the blue. It blew Duckies jaw off, ironically enough, and he fell on the floor violent twitching and panicking. "Stay dead!" yelled Fracture as he stepped into the light and leveled his gun at Duckie, unloading his entire clip into him before grabbing Duckie by his left ankle. "Sorry about that. Carry on Maggot," he said dragging Duckie's bullet riddled corpse into the dark.

I blinked and everything was bright again.... for like 3 seconds before Maggot started bashing my face in with my own Mask. I blacked out after the 5th blow. I would find out the next day that that hadn't been an accident. Maggot didn't cut into my mask at all. I guess it disapproves... can't say I'm surprised... or disappointed... I kind of raised it to think like that... kind of a victory I guess.

Apparently, Picasso and Jack had to chase Maggot off of me to get it to stop. I woke up the next day curled into bed with Picasso. Everyone else had already left... save for maybe Jack and the home bodies.

I missed my chance to talk with... was kind of looking forward to that.

I got to make a lot of Noise with Picasso before she left though~

And I guess Maggot still remembers everything I taught it... silver linings.

Moth out.

Again

I was eating lunch this morning beside Devil and Nat. They've been getting along which is kind of horrifying...

When suddenly in comes a familiar face... or uh... mask I guess. I'd seen him in pictures. Heard him talked about in angry hushed tones. Sitting across from me at the table looking smug and glaring daggers was the one and only, the dawn light, Morningstar. I'd heard rumors that he was back again... but why the fuck was he here... and why the fuck was he just eating at our table.

'Could Sloth or Fracture have invited him in?' I asked myself.

I looked over at Nat. I know her old squad and his old squad had some history. But she hadn't even looked up. She was staring down at a magazine on the table half eating. I looked back at Star just in time to catch him pulling off his mask... and suddenly it wasn't a grown adult anymore...

Suddenly Star was a child. And as his face came into view, I realized Star is Jack.

"God damn is it hard to eat with that thing on!" he laughed before scarfing down an entire grill cheese sandwich in 3 bites. Little animals. "But hey, I probably shouldn't be eating with it on right? I mean bigger body can probably hold more food. Then if I took the mask off on a full stomach, my stomach would rip! God damn would that suck... holy shit. Hold on. Idea," he said his eyes lighting up. "We get a baby... we tie up the baby... we put the mask on the baby! Shredded baby! Holy shit magic is fun. I wonder if they'll let me perform at birthday parties!" he cackled hugging his mask.

"Its a shame people only really get to know me as star though. I guess thats the entire point though. Deflect blame and invoke the authority of the legend... I mean perks are perks but they'll never know it was me. Never scream when they see my face... I guess that's just the price you pay when you live a lie," Jack said looking at me with a wide cheshire grin as if to imply I myself was somehow living a lie.

Before I could bash his 'Magic Mask' against his smug fucking face an angry looking ginger little girl in a lab coat came over and yanked Jack out of his chair by his ear. Jack yelled and hollowed in pain.

"What the fuck are doing?" she demanded.

"E-Eating?!" he said as if he was asking a question.

"And just where is Maggot's head?" she demanded to know.

"Pr-Probably on it's fucking shoulders, I couldn't find them!" yelled Jack at her.

The little girl threw Jack against the wall and then grabbed his mask off the table and pelted him with it. "Get back to work! And don't you come back without that head or I'm taking yours," she hissed. Jack grumbled idle insults and donned his mask, turning back into a full grown Morningstar, before he disappeared into a path door.

"Sorry about that. He gets a little carried away pretending to be someone hes not. But hey, hes good at it. So whats the harm right? Makes him happy," said the little girl as she left. "And it gets the job done."

And then she to was gone... I looked at Devil and Nat again. They had not reacted to any of this.

'Did you guys just see Morningstar and a little ginger girl pass through?' I asked on a piece of paper.

The gave each other a concerned look and then turned to me again. Devil reached out toward my head, "Did you?" she asked sounding worried. I pushed back on my chair to move out of her reach.

"Are you seeing things again?" asked Nat.

I didn't answer... I just ran off. Hid in my room... I was afraid to say I was probably seeing things again....



                                            --------------------------------------------------------


Weird shit aside... I'd like to take a moment to invite anyone who can get into the Free Market's compound in the next day or two to come participate in my shattering rite. Like I mentioned last post, I'm taking my mask off for good in preparation for sacrificing myself at the upcoming Fire ritual... whenever that happens. No word from Fracture yet on when that's gonna hit.

But again, Shatter Rite. Vallus said shes gonna be here for it, Ivan said he'd drop in, and I'm sure Maggot will be there if only to growl, glare, and taunt me. So if you care... feel free to drop in I guess. There will be cake.

Moth out.

With You

You know whats really fun about sneaking up on assassins?

They always look so surprised.

Its about time I let everyone know where I snuck off to. I went hunting. You could say I went hunting for a tooth if I wanted to be cryptic, pretentious, and vague about what I've been doing. But that's a gross abuse of Latin. That word isn't really supposed to be used like that.

If I wanted to be accurate, plain spoken, and in general just didn't want to sound like an ass about it, I would simply say I hunted down Vallus and clubbed her in the back of her head when she was on her way into her hotel room. Before Nat freaks out, shes fine. I haven't hurt her much.

It's worth noting I didn't actually club her. That's what stun guns are for. And if you don't spasm out and kill over of a heart attack, they are generally a safer way to knock someone out. Especially in comparison to clubbing someone in the head with a hard blunt instrument of some kind. That shit can kill.

Once she was neutralized I walked in, closed the door, tied her up, and dragged her to the bathroom. It was time to get to work. As I said the last time I posted while traveling with Vallus, she never took the Rite of Shattering. So I figured I should do that for her before I die. She owed it to the mask cult to see the rite through if she wasn't gonna act like a proper mask anymore.

For those of you who aren't in the mask cult and have no idea what I'm talking about, the Rite of Shattering is a ritual meant to be performed on a mask as a part of their uninitiation. You tie up the victim and take their mask. Then you make them watch as you hold the mask over an open flame. Once the mask is good and hot, you pass it around to all over masks present. They each get to scratch or cut into the mask. The mask is then heated one more time. Once its good and hot the second time, you smash it against the uninitiate's face until it breaks. And once it does break, they are no longer a a mask and are free to go.

So I started a fire in the motel room's bath tub and sat beside a sleeping Vallus as I cooked her mask over the open flame. She woke up and snapped upright as I was about done heating the mask. I didn't have anyone to pass the mask around to so once it was hot enough I was just gonna start bashing her face in with in.

When she saw me and realized what I was doing she started yelling and cussing at me which is about what I was expecting.

"Moth? God fucking damn it, I should have known. You fanatical piece of shit. You have no fucking right to do this to me! You hear me!? You better hope this kills me because if it doesn't I'm gonna hunt you down and puncture your lungs so I can watch you wheeze and gasp for breath before you collapse and kill the fuck over. You hear me? I'm gonna fucking kill you you pathetic sack of shit!"

So very melodramatic. I lifted the mask out of the flame to see how it was cooking. It was red hot and covered with cracked. Glass masks tend to do that if cooked long enough. The damn thing looked about ready to shatter all on it's own. So I set it aside and turned to face Vallus.

Only it wasn't Vallus anymore... it was PaKaSo... she was crying.

"Wh... Why?" she asked looking at me in utter disbelief. Her face was red and blooded . The pieces of mask on her face were red hot... as if they had just been seared on maybe? Her tears quickly turned into loud cringe worthy sobs. I could tell she was in a lot pain. "Y-You promised to protect me!"

"I am protecting you," said an unfamiliar voice from behind me. I snapped around to find a tall masked gentlemen with long messy hair and a sword on his back staring me down. His attention quickly snapped away from me and back to Picasso. He had a set of red hot tongs in his had... he must has been the one who did it? "You're the one who broke your vows. You brought this on yourself."

His words made PaKaSo sob louder and she crumpled from a sitting position to the fetal position across the tile floor muttering "Please help me" over and over again to herself.

Messy hair laughed and grabbed and shook my shoulder as some aggressive show of comradely. "You're lucky you're getting off this easily. The usual punishment for turncoats is death. You should really be thanking us. Right buddy?"

... What the fuck is going on?

That's when Fracture kicked the door open. Messy hair turned to face him and was immediately greeted with a kick to the chest that pushed both of us back. He looked... different. His face was all bandaged up. But I knew it was him from his all black outfit, lab coat, and cowboy hat. And sure enough it was his voice when he spoke... granted it sounded a little raspy.

"You!" he said pointing at me. "What the fuck are you waiting for?!"

This seemed to confuse Messy Hair. "You're too late Fuck Face. It's done," he said glaring down Fracture. At Fracture's prompt I decided I had finally had enough with all this fuckery. This man hurt PaKaSo... that's all I needed to know. That I hesitated this long was a fucking travesty. I pulled out my knife, grabbed messy hair by his hair and give it a good yank before I slit his throat. He collapsed on the floor and grabbed at my feet as he bleed profusely before killing over.

Picasso sat upright again. She was still crying but she looked a little happier. "Thank god..." she whimpered.

I ran over to check on her, placing a hand on her cheek. She cringed and reeled back a moment. She couldn't stand to look me in the eye. "Why... did you do this to me..." she whimpered and hissed.

What? But I didn't... the messy hair guy... he did it... right?

I never found out the answer to that. I blinked and it wasn't PaKaSo's face I was caressing  anymore. It was Vallus'.

"What... the fuck are doing? Do you wanna make out before you bash my face in with my own mask?" she hissed at me looking confused. I looked over at my other hand and sure enough I had her mask in it.

... What just happened?

I stared at her for a good long moment in confusion.

"... Stop groping my face!" she finally yelled, kicking and struggling like an animal and biting at my fingers.

'Fuck it,' I told myself. 'Time to get back to work.'

So I pulled out some goggles from my pocket and put them on her, to which she struggled and screamed more. I think I accidentally caught her hair when I did that.

Then a grabbed her by the throat and shoved her head against the wall to force her mouth closed.

Then I finally wacked her once in the face with her mask. It broke instantly. I didn't even have to hit her that hard with it. I had cooked it well enough to make the rite as painless as possible.

She looked at me in disbelief.

I took my goggles back and cut her free. Then I handed her a note:

'I'm taking the rite myself next month in the mask Den. You should be there. See you around Vallus.'

I turned to leave and she grabbed my shoulder. I turned to face her again and she socked hard in the face throwing me on my ass.

"In case I don't show, those new cracks I just put in your mask should help the ritual along," she said with a cheeky grin. "Now fuck off before I make good on my word and start popping your lungs."

I nodded, stood, and bowed before hustling it out of there.

... I'd say that went well... with the exception of all the hallucinations.

Moth out.

'I've Come to Talk'

So shit has gotten a little tense around the Free Market recently. I found out just the other night that apparently PaKaSo is super depressed. She was hiding it pretty good but she finally let it spill in her last post. I've been going out of my way to spend more time with her than I have been recently. I'm getting the sense she needs the company and Navi, a girl that can't even see her, isn't quite cutting it. I'm sure I'm not either. She still finds the mute thing annoying and off putting.

And of course this happened. Lord Goddess, or Nat, freaked out a little and isn't talking to Sloth anymore. Which is a big deal because Nat's main duty seems to be playing bodyguard to Sloth. And to make things even more awkward and tense, there are pretty heavy rumors about people in the compound gearing up to kill Sloth while Nat's not around. They don't call him the Lord Betrayer for nothing. A lot of people are not okay with him being in charge.

Its weird. Nat backed Sloth and couldn't understand why everyone else didn't hate Fracture. But the reality of the Free Market political situation is every one was backing Fracture until he abruptly left and everyone here hates the shit out of Sloth. I think that's irony but I could be wrong. Probably miss using the word...




While we're on the topic of Nat, something weird happened earlier this week. I think it might have something to do with why Nat is so angry.

So I was in my room reading and minding my own business. I'm going to be a sacrifice eventually so I want to make sure I finish all the book series I've started. I can't very well read them once I've dead. Morbid thoughts aside, I was just chilling.

Then Nat threw my door open. She was furious. She started calling me names and demanded to know what I was thinking with all this sacrifice crap. I tried to do that thing Masks are so well know for and just stared at her until she finished the conversation on her own at me or got so frustrated with my refusal to respond that she stomped her feet and stormed out. Neither happened.

She just kept insulting away and demanding an explanation. It was making it hard to read so I finally caved and pulled out a notepad. I used it to write out responses to her.

She demanded to know why I was so eager to die. Why it had to be me when it could be anyone.

I quietly wrote out a whole explanation about how it didn't have to be but that I wanted it to be me because I knew I was worthy of it. That it was the highest honor to be the sacrifice. That it was an honor Duckie wanted but can never get now that hes dead and that I wanted it to show that fucker up forever. That for the fate of the world, the right kind of person had to be sacrificed and even though it didn't have to be me, I wanted it to be me so I could ensure it was done right.

None of these explanations seemed to satisfy her. In fact, each one seemed to make her madder and madder. By the end she was fuming.

Her childish retort was to question my strength, convinced I was far from the strongest and thus it would not and should not be me. I didn't take that lying down. I jumped to my feet and took a stance. She took a stance in kind and we fought and I beat her ass.

I took her down to a pin. My strength seemed to confuse her so I wrote out a quick note to reaffirm what I already knew.

 'I'm sorry but this is happening,' I wrote out on the floor beside her for her to read.

She huffed and sucker punched me in the face, cracking my mask, and then ran out of the room. It looked like she was about to cry. It was a little hard to take.

But I took a deep breath and climbed back onto my bed to relax, recover, and read.

And this is where things get weird.

That's when Nat walked in. She looked around confused for a moment before realizing she had apparently wandered into the wrong room. I guess she was looking for Lord Devil or something. She turned to leave but then stopped herself.

"Hmmm.... well, maybe we should talk," she said.

I found that extremely confusing. 'We just talked. I'm not about the change my mind.'

"... What are talking about?"

So I showed her the notepad I had filled with my half of the conversation which seemed to weird her out.

"We haven't talked today Moth..."

That can't be right.

'You punched me so hard on your way out, you cracked my mask.'

"... Your mask is fine. Not a crack on it... are you okay."

I just stared at her. Something was wrong but I had no idea what.

'I... I'm fine. Maybe I just dozed off and dreamt all that... I guess.'

"Riiiiggggghhhhtttt...." she said looking concerned.

'Did you need something?'

"Yeah, right. Well, looking at this I seem to agree with your dream. I don't think you should go through with the ritual."

Here we go again I thought to myself.

'Why the hell not?'

"For PaKaSo's sake. I don't think she can stand to lose anyone right now."

That one actually gave me pause.

'... Shes strong... she'll manage.'

"Will she?"

'I know she will... just do me a favor. Look out for her for me... make sure she doesn't accidentally kill Navi or something.'

"Me and her aren't exactly close and shes not one of mine. Shes not a mask."

'You're supposed to be friends aren't you?'

"I don't think she sees it that way."

'Doesn't matter. For me.'

"Fine I... I guess I'll try."

'Thank you'

"You got it. Have fun with your hallucinations."

'I'll try.'




It occurred to me sometime after that just how dangerous I really am. I talked to Nat later and confirmed that the second Nat I met was the real one. She remembered our conversation. Which means the first Nat, the one I argued with and fought with, wasn't there.

I was throwing punches and beating the shit out of nothing. Which is awkward because I was still sore from the fight afterwards. But just imagine if someone had walked in on that. I could have accidentally smashed their face in.

So as much as I want to spend my remaining days with Picasso...  I can't risk it. I might hurt someone. So I decided today I'm leaving. At least for a little while until I can figure out if something like that is going to happen again or not. Sorry Picasso... this is something I have to do. I should be back before too long. Take care everyone.

Moth out.

My Old Friend

I was watching Picasso, or PaKaSo as she prefers to see it written now, play with Navi when it happened. She was running around shoving Navi from different angles. Navi was flailing to fend off an assault from all angles and failing miserably. Hard to anticipate attacks from someone you can't see or hear.

PaKaSo stopped when I got the text. Navi did not. She kept flailing. When she eventually stopped, she took an anxious and nervous stand anticipating the assault to start again soon.

I was just standing there staring at my phone. Navi finally composed herself enough to ask questions.

"Wh-Whats going on?" she asked.

I held up the phone to show I had a text from Fracture.

"What the fuck doe he want?" they both asked at ominously the same time. They still do that sometimes. It creeps me out to no end.

I pressed the button to open the message.

'Meet me through the portal,' it said. Portal. What portal?

I held it up for them to see. Navi accidentally bump into Picasso trying to read it. Having finally found Picasso, this resulted in long over due retribution as Navi tackled Picasso to the ground and the two started to wrestle.

Not more than 10 seconds passed before a portal ripped open on the wall next to me. We all jumped back startled. Navi screamed and dove into a closet.

Picasso sighed and forcibly pulled me into a hug by the hair as I tried to step into the portal. I stood there stiff as a board for a moment, waiting for her to let go of the death grip she had on my hair.

"Don't fuck it up. If you die for nothing I won't forgive you," she huffed throwing me forward into the portal.

I barely caught my footing as I crossed the threshold. The portal sealed behind me. I was in the path... kind of. I was in a forest and the floor was coated in leaves and ash... for the first in all of my trips through there wasn't actually a path here. There also weren't any screaming monsters charging head first at me. I took a moment to calm and steel myself. I need to be ready in case on such screaming monster suddenly decided to show up.

Immediately before me was a house. Single story. It had a bent swing set in front of it, the seats for which were swinging themselves despite the bent shape causing them to slam into the ground and spin wildly with each trip back and forth.

I made my way for the burned and ruined looking house, going out of my way to steer clear of the swing set.

When I reached out to open the door it fell back off it's hinges and snapped in two against the floor. I sprang out, ready to go toe to toe with whatever was about to come charging out the door at me... but nothing came. Instead I heard giggles. They started at the front door and made their way to the back of the house. I followed the noise, being sure not to step on either piece or door for a reason I can't explain in hindsight. Just seemed like a bad idea. As if following disembodied giggles weren't.

 The giggles stopped as I rounded a hallway corner. There was an open door to the right of the wall. I assumed that was my destination. And I was right. Once at the door way I could see Fracture inside. He had a lab here. Beakers, and machines. Working appliances, apparently, and a bunch of items being kept is glass boxes.

It looked like a piece of azoth, chunk of broken wood, feathers, an oversize bug feeler or some kind, water, blood, rotting meat, fur, ink, cloth. All kinda of random shit. I watch him for a bit as he took a little bit of from each and every item from each and every box and added it to a boiling post.

"There we go. Now where is- Oh! There you are Moth. I was waiting. Were you standing there long?" he asked putting the boxes away from sight. I guess I wasn't supposed to see them.

"Ready to start the ritual?" he asked. I odded confidently and came over to his side.

"Good," he said pulling out a blow torch. "I just finished mixing everything together."

I raised an eyebrow a bit concerned for what that might be for. My attention was turned toward the door as Fracture's head snapped to face in that direction. Jack was there, looking pale as hell with black eyes. He was talking but there was no sound coming out of his mouth. Fracture nodded at him and threw out a hand, opening up a portal behind Jack that Jack quickly used to leave.

"Moron," huffed Fracture. "Where were we? Oh right. Starting the ritual. First we have some warnings. Things you need to know about," he said standing up and dragging a chair over to sit across from me, the boiling pot of random things between us.

"You're gonna need to be wary Moth. I don't know what happens once the ritual starts but from what I can its bad. Every sacrifice before you has turned into a gibbering psychotic mess and I anticipate you will too. Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"

I nodded.

He sighed a bit and then got the blow torch back out, pulling me over with his other hand until we both stood right in front of the pot.

"I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea what you do after this next part. Its gonna be all you. I'm gonna set up the rest of the ritual and gather up everyone when the day of your sacrifice comes but getting their and preparing yourself is gonna be all you."

I gave him a bit of a worried look. That wasn't quite what I was expecting.

"All I have for you in some words of wisdom from your predecessors. Trust nothing. Assume you know nothing. And if you ever find yourself in trouble, in the darkest moments men all else seems lost, look for me. Apparently, somehow, I will guide you. Ready."

I took a deep breath and nodded once more. Fracture grabbed me by the back of my head and shoved me face first just over the boiling water. It looks black and the vapors were nauseating. I hadn't realized how putrid a scent it was giving off until my nose was an inch away from it. I tried to jerk out from under him reflexively to escape the smell but he held my head there as he brought the now lit blow torch down with his other hand brought the torrent of blinding bright fire shooting out from it to the black boiling water.

To my surprise, when the fire hit the water it immediately produced a thick smoke. I coughed and thrashed as I choked out on the smoke... eventually I passed out.

I woke up in my bed alone with a note tapped to my forehead.

    'Good Luck shithead.'
                 -Fracture

Huh. So I guess it just up to me now. Goody.... no idea what I'm supposed to do... think I'm gonna try to finish my book before I go crazy.

Moth out.

Hello Darkness

So... Hi. I uh...

So many dots. I need to stop that. I'm not Sloth.

... I was however taught to read and write by him.



Lets go lighter. Its me, Moth.

There's a lot to explain about what got me to where I am now so uh,... I won't. Lets just link a bunch of shit together. A good mask doesn't over explain. A good masked probably doesn't explain shit really.

So I'm a proxy. I worked under Fracture for a long time. I helped him, along side Picasso, torture Duckie until what was supposed to be his dying day. But Fracture won his little bet with Father and Duckie got to live.

Picasso would not accept that.

So we started our own blog intent on rallying support against Fracture.

Over the course of those events we got a lot of people killed in, what was in hindsight, a fruitless and ineffective effort. Secretly, we had been operating with Sloth's assistance and under Father's blessing. Father hated Duckie. So bet or no bet, he was gonna use us to circumvent the deal. Things really came to a head as a handful of notable figured joined us to help bring Fracture down.

Nat, Navi, Helrick (God rest his murdered soul), and that bitch Vallus.

But the longer things went on, the worse Picasso's mental state became. It's clear now that she was being mind fucked  by Father in a way... most aren't. By the time everything was said and done, she was as good as fucking possessed. A puppet with a tendril up her ass.

A puppet that killed Helrick for fear of losing him... so very possessive.

We had one last showdown with Fracture. A desperate last bid, on both sides, to see the feud put to rest.

As it turned out, it was Fracture luring us all home to put the pieces together for a new deal he had made with Father.

He shot Duckie in the back of the head... and in exchange for killing Duckie he now... well there's no nice way to put it. He basically owns Picasso and I. Where once we were proxies... now we are just proxies co-dependents doing proxy work because it's what we know, love, and understand.

And then he decided to retire. So now, dispite being Fracture's co-dependents, Picasso and I work for the Free Market's new owner, Sloth. And his right hand thug, Nat.

Or so I should be. Navi is Picasso's new partner, which is fucking weird because Navi can't see Picasso but Picasso can see Navi now. Not sure how that's gonna work out.

Vallus is fucking long gone. She refused to come back even with Fracture stepping down.

Jack, an obnoxious little shit that woke up a little while back from being a hollow, and I have been pulled from our normal positions in the Free Market to pursue Fracture's personal interests. Jack's job is to basically be a little minion and follow Fracture around. We'll get into my job later.

I have an aside I want to get into real quick since I'm the first one posting since Fracture's new deal went down and Sloth took over. Picasso is fine. Shes recovered. She eventually woke up and a little while after that she started getting out of bed and doing things. Shes worked herself into fighting shape and is looking to get back into proxy work.

She does not, however, remember the last four years. Everything that happened to her since she started acting bat shit crazy, since Father took over I guess, was washed from her mind when Father did whatever the fuck he did to her as part of Fracture's deal.

I... Its good to have her back. I've missed her, the real her.



...


Whatever, lets segue back to my new job.

So Fracture showed up pretending to have just gotten back from somewhere. Meanwhile I had spent all day training Jack... so I knew he was full of shit.

 I know for a fact that Jack's been Fracture's personal stooge since he stepped down but I still see jack at the compound almost everyday. So, he maybe hiding it, but I know if Jack's around Fracture is around.

So Fracture pulled me aside and lead me off into one of the unused rooms in the compound where Sloth was waiting for us.

"That figures," groaned Sloth.

"I bet it does. Hes the next candidate in line. We both knew that. He knew that. No one here should be surprised," said Fracture

"And this isn't you being vindictive? We don't have anyone else more suitable for this?"

"Nobody you didn't get killed."

"... Goody. I can clearly see we aren't being vindictive."

"You know the drill. Pull him off assignments and make sure hes accommodated and well looked after. I'll get the ritual started."

"Fine, whatever."

And with that Fracture left.

"You uh... in for this Kid?"

I nodded. I understood. This was something I had been anticipating. A possibility I had long been ready for. The highest honor both a Mask or Fire Cultist could receive.

I get to be this generations sacrifice.

Moth out.