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....



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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.