[closed] Mog's Day Celebration

[unkindled_madness]

Who: Sephiroth unkindled_madness, Loki dothelokimotion, Tina skagzz, and friends!
What: They made up a holiday instead of celebrating any of the actual things they have to celebrate.
When: November 14
Where: their new home in Sunset Falls
Content Warnings: N/A for now


Happy Mog's Day!

What's Mog's Day? Well, it's not surprising you haven't heard of it, since it isn't an Earth holiday. It's a fall celebration marking the end of the season, before moogles enter their annual hibernation. A simple drawing of a moogle (a white, vaguely koala-like animal with small bat wings) was included in the invitation. On arrival, guests will be asked to don a large red nose, out of respect for Mog. The hosts are exempt from this, given they're the ones throwing the party and all.

Want a tour of the house? The hosts are not familiar with the concept of a housewarming party, but that's essentially what this is, and any of them would probably show you around if you like. They've just moved, but there's no sign of boxes. Rather, the bookshelves and decor seem a little sparse, their belongings having migrated from a smaller space. You may catch glimpses of a large orange cat slinking around behind the furniture. He has not yet adjusted to his new surroundings, and all the strangers aren't helping.

A catered dinner is laid out on the dining room table. (They can cook, they just... didn't.) There's also a chocolate cake waiting in the kitchen for later. It's for Loki; Sephiroth doesn't really care about cake.

The nearby back door leads out into the yard, and the fire pit. Arranged on a table are some materials one might use to create a simple effigy of someone you particularly hate. There's also a bag of marshmallows, seemingly as an afterthought.

Comments

[unkindled_madness]

"Good. It would be a shame to deny yourself that."

...Sephiroth clearly feels differently on the matter.

[atypical_echo]

He denies himself a lot of things. And Mark does what Mark can do. That's how he handles it as he does.

"Sometimes strength is denying yourself things that will hurt you even if it feels right."

[unkindled_madness]

"...I'm not sure what you mean."

Are they not talking about celebrating the death of things that would hurt you?

[atypical_echo]

"I... have the ability to have hurt them. Really hurt them. I could have walked back into that place, borrowed all the powers I needed, and had revenge. But wouldn't that make me as bad as them?"

[unkindled_madness]

That sounds like a really good idea to him.

"No. It was their choice to make themselves your enemies. That has consequences."

[atypical_echo]

That's definitely a way to look at it. Of course, their choice also led to his sister's ex-boyfriend dying so...

"It's not that easy. OR at least it isn't for me."

[unkindled_madness]

"It's that simple to me. But I won't ask for elaboration."

Actually killing Hojo wasn't as easy as he would have liked it to be, but he has no regrets on the matter. It feels good to remember the man is dead.

[atypical_echo]

If only the people who hurt Mark were too. But there isn't any way to make that true.

"Thank you. I think I'd rather keep it to myself. More than I have at least."

[unkindled_madness]

Well, no way that Mark would choose, probably.

"Of course." He considers his completed effigy: a bearded figure in green. "Let's simply enjoy the notion of their demise. A fantasy, if you will."

[atypical_echo]

"Fantasies I can accept," he says, gathering up his handful of creations and tossing them right into the fire.

[unkindled_madness]

Sephiroth nods. One has to start somewhere.

He casts his own effigy into the fire with a bit more deliberation. "Farewell, Heidegger. May you be killed by your own men."

[atypical_echo]

"I just want these people to be without power," Mark says with a sigh. "And maybe for their families to stop talking to them."

Because Adam deserved better than his aunt.

[unkindled_madness]

"...I suppose that might be a punishment, if they value their families."

Hard for anyone to talk to you if you're dead, though.

[atypical_echo]

“The one I met, the one who made the choice to keep me there? She did. A lot. She cared most of all for her nephew. The way he cut her off when he learned what she did to me…”

Yeah, he was closer to Adam than she was at this point. The kid was someone he had been texting with regularly since he left town. It really was interesting. And sad at the same time. But Mark supposed family was a weirder thing for him than it was for a lot of people back home.

[unkindled_madness]

"He chose to break ties with her? On your behalf?"

That's remarkable, he feels, although perhaps this is a close friend. Still, it's no small thing.

[atypical_echo]

"On more than mine, but mine did figure in to the whole of it. His boyfriend, he's like me. An Atypical. And the kid learned what they do to people like us and..."

Hated her for it.

"He helped. The best he could. Kid has heart. I hope he goes far."

[unkindled_madness]

"...he sounds like an admirable person."

Sephiroth never gave anyone back home the chance for that. He never revealed what had been done to him. He assumed that, like everyone who had access to the 67th floor, they wouldn't care.

He was probably right about some of them, but only some.

[atypical_echo]

"The kids were okay," he agrees with a nod. "But I wish they hadn't had to be involved in all of it."

[unkindled_madness]

"Perhaps, but it will serve them better to understand these things exist in the world, than to go on oblivious to them."

[atypical_echo]

Now that's a good point. Mark still wishes that Adam and Caleb had been safe from it all.

"One of the boys, he's an empath. We... were hiding from someone, to protect the kids. To protect them from someone that wanted to get to the boy's uncle. And his boyfriend, the empath, he was just... feeding on all of our anger and fear and powerlessness when that person that we were hiding from found us. He snapped and attacked the guy and..."

Mark shakes his head. His own mind had been dizzy with the depths of power from Caleb. It had made him nauseous.

"I just wish they never had that pain and weight on their shoulders. They should get to see something better in the world than I had to."

[unkindled_madness]

It doesn't sound so terrible to Sephiroth. Moment spent in fear, yes, but with people trying to protect you. Having the ability to lash out.

Should it sound terrible?

"Did you express this sentiment to them?"

[atypical_echo]

I...

[He sighs and looks down at his hands.]

I ran away.

[unkindled_madness]

...and you haven't seen them, since that moment?

[atypical_echo]

[He winces to even consider the last time he would have seen them.]

No. Thankfully. The last time I was in town, right before I came here... Things went really wrong. People died. If they had been there... No, I'm really glad I didn't see them after.

[unkindled_madness]

You believe they are better off apart from your company.