I see the bad moon rising / I see trouble on the way

[lucetimods]

Who: Everyone!
What: There are these crazy masks everywhere, you see. And does the moon look strange to you?
When: The 23rd through the 30th. (If you want to backdate a thread in here to the 22nd for some reason, feel free. A separate log for the day of Halloween will go up at a later date!)
Where: Everywhere!
Summary: Things are starting to get a

Comments

Everyday except the final few hours.

[soreplaceable]

25th
[Ion just spent the past two days wearing the Stone Mask. But he didn't realize the mask's power, you see. Instead, he just assumed, for whatever reason, his housemates were ignoring him. And as patient as Ion is, there's only so much he can stand before the silent treatment starts getting old. Especially with that moon hanging in the sky over the village. Was it getting bigger? It seemed that way... or was it getting closer? It was hard to tell.]

[Either way, expect him to be looking more than a little sour when he comes home that night. Certainly, the fact that he's wearing the Phanto mask isn't helping matters either. Feel free to run into him on his way to House One... but don't expect him to be very friendly.]

26th - 28th
[From around mid-afternoon, Ion will be wearing the Couples Mask. And with the moon starting to look rather menacing, maybe that extra cuddly side will be more appreciated... he'll be making his way around the village, occassionally shooting worrying glances up at the sky.]

29th - 30th
[But on the final

Evening of the 25th

[soreplaceable]

[Nephry, you are truly a saint. With a huff, Ion turns and storms off to his room, slamming the door loudly behind him.]

[...]

[Though given a few hours, assuming Nephry is still awake, his door is going to creak back open... rather timidly, this time.]

Evening of the 25th

[offallingsnow]

[She is still awake. She's sitting in the living room, looking through the journal a bit, with a mug of cocoa in her free hand. The Zorro mask is still sitting beside her on the sofa.

And she looks troubled.]

Evening of the 25th

[soreplaceable]

[Ion slowly makes his way out into the hallway, holding the now broken-in-half Phanto Mask in his hands. But he'll linger in the doorway a moment before going into the living room. His voice is soft and gentle, just as it's supposed to be.]

Nephry?

Evening of the 25th

[offallingsnow]

[It takes her a minute to look up at him. ...Well, at least the mask is off.]

Did you need something, Ion? [unfortunately, she's using the same formal tone she was before - not sharp, but certainly not very affectionate either.]

Evening of the 25th

[soreplaceable]

[Somehow, that tone hurts more than if she were to actually snap at him.]

Nephry, I... [His gaze falls to the ground.] I don't know what to say. I have no idea what came over me before. I'm so sorry.

Evening of the 25th

[offallingsnow]

[She raises one eyebrow very quickly - Ion probably doesn't see it happen - and keeps her gaze steady on him, setting the journal aside.]

Evening of the 25th

[soreplaceable]

[It's... concerning, not to hear Nephry say anything in response. Was it not enough? He'd spoken so terribly to her... he grips the remaining pieces of the mask in his hands.]

I hadn't even realized what I did until I took this mask off. I said so many terrible things to you, and to Anise...

[He cringes a bit. He'd have to apologize to her as well... treating her so cruelly when she was clearly being influenced by an experiment; what was he thinking!?]

Evening of the 25th

[offallingsnow]

What did you say to Anise?

[Because she knows what you said to her. She still hasn't changed her tone. ...But she doesn't look angry.]

Evening of the 25th

[soreplaceable]

[His eyes stay low. He can't look her in the eyes and admit this.]

...she was wearing a dog mask earlier today. And she was under the impression that she really was a dog. [...] And I treated her like one.

[There is so much shame in his tone. He's horrified by what he did... the mask didn't break on it's own.]

Evening of the 25th

[offallingsnow]

Ah, yes. I saw her, too. [Well. She also puts down her cocoa, giving her two free hands instead of one.]

Come here.

Evening of the 25th

[soreplaceable]

[His eyes stay low, but he does as she says. He can still remember looking at her just feeling so angry. It was horrible.]

Evening of the 25th

[offallingsnow]

I accept your apology. [then, finally, a smile] It is an experiment. I'm sure Anise will feel the same.

Evening of the 25th

[soreplaceable]

[Hearing that fills him with more relief than he'll show right away. He still has to apologize to Anise, and even then, an apology won't undo all the terrible things he did and said...]

[...but it certainly helps.]

Thank you, Nephry. I hope she will, as well. Perhaps I should do something to make it up to her... I'd like to make it up to you somehow as well, if you'll let me.

[Seriously, for someone like Ion, acting like that is kind of like the worst thing he's ever done.]

Evening of the 25th

[offallingsnow]

[She shakes her head.]

Others have said far worse to me, and been less sorry. On purpose, at that. I knew...I hoped you didn't really mean it.

[Then she stands, using one hand to gently turn him around and lead him toward the kitchen.]

You're not cruel, Ion. If anyone knows that, it's Anise.

Evening of the 25th

[soreplaceable]

[Of course he didn't mean it... he could never say such words to Nephry, to anyone, and mean it. The number of people Ion has ever seriously raised his voice at could still be counted on one hand.]

[He nods, walking with Nephry into the kitchen.]

You're right. I know it was only because of this experiment, but perhaps that's why it's making me feel so terrible...