031 — The Maskmonger | Talon Z. Gray

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Choose your mask carefully.
A smiling mask eats your teeth.
A stern mask hardens your heart.
But the worst mask? No mask at all.

Will you wander raw, heart exposed?
Or cut your way in like the rest of them?

You’ve arrived, little one.
And just like that—you’ve stumbled into my domain.

Welcome to Mask-Sync™,
our flagship shop at the mountain’s base.
(We also have a summit location, but few make it that far.)

We craft masks for every occasion,
each one filtered through my marketing machine,
tailored to the deepest insecurities of the buyer.

They all want the same thing:
“Give me this…
so I can have that.
Make me whole.
Make me hidden.
Make me loved.”

But every mask comes with a price.
The mask eats away at your authenticity.
Wear it too long, and it devours your mind,
chews the soul to gristle.

“May I have another mask?” they beg.
How could I refuse?
So I keep making them, keep baking them—
bakedy bake bake, the faking never ends.
We make the bacon, we make the bacon,
we make the faking masks!

Of course, these aren’t just costumes.
This is no mere armor shop.
Each mask is enchanted,
infused with entities—
crafted to amplify your wholeness…
or deepen your brokenness.

We even tailor them for dogs.
(Smiles, with too many teeth.)
Just like you.

If you’ve survived Mt. Placeholder this long,
you know: most interactions are done under a mask.
That’s by design.
They wanted it this way.

Ah, but you—you’re different.
I can smell it.
A glitch in the system.
You wouldn’t have found us otherwise.

Now listen carefully:

🩸 The Snout of Swiftness
—Doubles your speed and leap.
—Perfect for dodging obstacles and crossing chasms.
But beware—once you’ve felt the wind in your fur,
you’ll never want to walk again.

👂 The Whispering Hound
—Its foxlike face and trailing ears come alive.
—Unlock hidden shortcuts and secrets on the mountain.
Overuse it, and the voices will stay in your head.
You may hear their song…
but can you silence it?

🎭 The Mirage Muzzle
—Porcelain with shifting patterns.
—Create an illusory copy to misdirect pursuers.
Overuse it, and the lines blur.
Lose yourself to find yourself
—or lose yourself entirely.

(He lifts a mask from the shelf. Its painted smile is far too wide.)

We’d like to offer you a mask for free.
Wear it in sticky situations,
and the Hoomans’ eyes will slide right over you.

But keep it on too long…
and you’ll forget the face beneath.

So.
(Gestures) Will you take it?