Friday, October 31, 2014

'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.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

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.