⬣//BLOSSOMING FROM A GAP IN THE ASPHALT.

[cccorp]

>>NAVAL MONTE // >>HEALTH // >>ROGUE NPC // >>CONFERENCE // >>Zelkova Corner

⬣//A TOWERING MOUNTAIN AMIDST THE WAVES

A new Root Town has been revealed: Naval Monte, a tiered city built upon a mountain jutting up from an endless expanse of ocean. These fortified walls house an innumerable number of NPCs who, unlike those which occupy other Root Towns, are quite a bit more advanced.

Those of you who spend entirely too much time logged in have no doubt noticed the set patterns the NPCs of Mac Anu and Lumina Cloth take to move from area to area. Their paths never change. Their dialog rarely diverges. Talking to a freshly painted wall would be more stimulating than conversing with your run of the mill NPC, but Naval Monte's are different.

They move in accordance with their own whims, seldom found in the same place twice. Some NPCs have entire families while others boast elaborate backstories and speak at length of their tales of bravery and triumphs over evil. While they won't accept your party invites, they may instead invite you to share a meal with their family and regale you with stories until you've had your fill.

Travel far enough into the depths of the city and you'll hear tales of a graveyard that sits within the core of the mountain, but the NPCs who guard this elusive site are defensive at best. Don't expect them to let you in, but given their advanced nature, you may be able to wheedle some valuable information out of them.

Be aware that there is a price to enter Naval Monte. After crossing the vast bridge leading right up to the mountain city, you'll be accosted by no less than a dozen eager vendors fighting to peddle their wares to you. Some are so desperate that they ask only for a single GP, and in exchange, they grant you passage to the city.

Ask them why they're so desperate to make a sale and they'll answer plainly: if you don't, the curse will persist.

⬣//FOR YOUR HEALTH

Come Saturday morning, an email flagged as urgent pops up in your inbox.

To our beta team,

It has come to our attention that a number of our beta testers have failed to report previous underlying health conditions that may negatively impact their ability to perform their duties as intended.

In our ongoing efforts to monitor the health and safety of our beta testing team, all participants in Fragment's closed beta test will be required to complete a health screening before the date of September 16th in order to continue participating in the beta.

Beta participants will be matched with a health professional in their area and the fees for their screening and assessment waived. As such, it is necessary that you make an appointment with the medical professional assigned to you or select another from within our network.

No exceptions will be made for those who fail to submit their health assessments to CyberConnect's Health and Human Resources department. Termination from Fragment's beta testing program and applicable legal action will be taken in the event that you fail to participate in these necessary steps.

We take the health and safety of our beta testers very seriously. If you have any concerns, please contact us at cccorp.ccmail.com.

Thank you for your continued efforts,
CyberConnect Corporation of Japan.

⬣//ON THE RUN

Murmurs of an unusual NPC have begun to circulate within Naval Monte.

According to eye witnesses, one of the local residents has "gone rogue". According to them, a woman with dishwater eyes and hair messily pulled into a loose bun has been spotted going door to door begging to be let in.

"We need to go," she shouts, her eyes glossy with tears, her every word slurred. "We'll be safe there! We'll be free! We can't live like this anymore!"

From what you've heard, that woman has managed to break free from the confines of her native Root Town and has been seen running through the streets in Mac Anu, Lumina Cloth, and the nameless Root Town in the sky. You may have even come across her, accosted in the street and urged to listen to her increasingly erratic ramblings.

"I need you to take me there! Take me to him! His father left the key within him!"

Ultimately, nothing you say or do will influence the woman's behavior or calm her down. All you'll get for your troubles is an ill feeling in the pit of your gut, something that blooms from within you and spreads infinitely outwards. An infection you can't cure.

You won't realize that the infection has begun to spread and mutate until you see it blossoming all around you, your fellow testers complaining of an unidentifiable malaise. You'll know what afflicts you and everyone you've infected when it's far too late to do anything about it. Until this unfortunate "bug" is patched, you'll continue to get sicker and sicker. The progression of the illness is as follows:

Stage one: The complete inability to lie, but is that really a bad thing? We could all stand to be more honest and communicative.

Stage two: The loss of one of your key senses, but only one. Maybe it's your sense of smell. Your keen tongue. Your vision. Whatever it is, it's a vital part of you that won't return to you until you log off, but when you next log in, you may find that a different sense has gone missing instead.

Stage three: Disconnect from your real world body. You'll realize after several days have passed that you can no longer feel your real self as keenly as before. You may not realize you've slapped yourself in the face or knocked a tooth out on the edge of your desk until you log out for the day and witness the extent of the damage.

Final stage: Memory loss. Your head feels foggy. Concentrating becomes a struggle, your thoughts sluggishly crawling through your mind and and ultimately losing their way. In the final stages of the illness, you may forget to log out for days at a time and wake to find yourself passed out on the floor with your headset jostled loose, inadvertently freeing you from the game.

The "cure," aside from a timely patch, may hide somewhere within the game. Before your senses leave you, you'd better start asking around.

⬣//YOU CAN TRUST US. WE PROMISE.

As many of you know, it isn't easy to get ahold of CyberConnect when you need them. Hien is, at best, completely useless. Pete isn't much better. It's for these reasons and more that players have been invited to a digital conference and encouraged to give a voice to the rising concerns within the beta testing community.

The conference is to be held, both ICly and OOCly, on September 23rd at 12PM EST. If you have any burning questions to ask the people who hold power and influence over the state of the game and what happens within it, you can't afford to complain about timezones. This is your opportunity to speak your mind and have those questions answered.

OOCly, the conference will begin on September 23rd at 12PM EST and end on October 7th at 12PM EST. During this time, your characters can ask whatever questions they'd like of CyberConnect corporate staff, bring up concerns, and provide insights on their beta testing experiences.

Participation is mandatory (ICly), so set your alarms and don't be late!

⬣//ZELKOVA’S CORNER

Hello, everyone! Sorry I was away for a while. I got stuck in an outer level of the game and it took me a week to get back, but I should be just fine now! I hope I didn't miss anything too serious...

I did see that all of you have worked hard on those recipes, though! I liked all of them so much that I've added each of them into the game so that everyone can make their own. Congratulations!

>>Navigation

Comments

[dapples]

Eeee! H-Hey ...

[ He giggles, inching closer until he's touching noses with Joonghyuk. ]

Well, I'm glad to hear it.

[regressive]

Fool.

[ Joonghyuk nuzzles their noses together before stealing a kiss from his lips. ]

My fool.

[dapples]

[ He giggles again. ] I'm a fool now?

[regressive]

Are you trying to tell me that I'm a fool instead?

[ He's teasing!! ]

[dapples]

No. [ What a sweetie. Anyway, he starts kissing him again. ]

[regressive]

[ If this is what it means to be a fool, then maybe it's not so bad. To be fair, he can't help thinking that people who haven't recognized Brambles' brilliance are the real fools here. ]

And you thought that you killed the mood?

[ Brambles won't be the only one doing kissing in this hot spring. Actually, Joonghyuk plays a little dirty as he breaks the kiss and dips down to press his lips against Brambles' neck. ]

is it too late to mark this thread as nsfw

[dapples]

[ His breath catches in his throat when Joonghyuk attacks his neck with a kiss once again - it really shouldn't be like this, but the fact that they're doing this at risk of being caught is so exciting to him. What the hell? Has he unlocked a brand new kink? Brambles' fingers comb through those dark locks of hair as he tips his head back with a gratified sigh. ]

Ah...! Yeah ... mark me.

[ It goes back to the possessiveness thing. Even though Joonghyuk made the insane wedding proposition, hickeys are definitely the best option for now. ]

this icon is a good start

[regressive]

Is that an order?

[ Rather than wait for a confirmation, Joonghyuk just does as he's told—a rare feat, really, but Brambles is special. It doesn't take him too long to pick a nice spot that should be visible to everyone. Pleased with the choice, Joonghyuk leans in and starts sucking hard, making sure to be as audible as possible. ]

[dapples]

Defininitle-eee--!

[ Brambles gasps loudly when Joonghyuk fixes his mouth to his neck - causing him to produce a warbled noise while he loses his train of thought for a moment and his mind goes blank. Holy shit. He can really feel that bite - and it's a lot. Try as he might, his ability to mute himself completely fails - he pushes out adorable squeaks at the intensity of the bite, cursing under his breath with both arms wrapped tightly around his partner as if his life depended on it. ]

A-Ah-! God...!

[regressive]

It's just me.

[ When he's satisfied with the intensity of the mark, Joonghyuk pulls away and flashes him a cheeky smile. ]

I love that you can't stay quiet at all.

[dapples]

Ah ... [ His boyfriend is so cruel! Brambles pants and whimpers, taking a moment to collect himself while enjoying the stinging sensation of the new hickey on his neck. ]

H-Hey, I can too be quiet...!

[ Spoiler: He cannot. ]

[regressive]

Is this a challenge?

[ Joonghyuk raises his eyebrow because it certainly does sound like one. ]

What will I get if I make you moan?

[ Shameless. Utterly shameless. ]

[dapples]

You'll get, um ...





A boner...? Maybe?

[ Most threatening man ever. And Joonghyuk did just say he loves how loud Brambles is ... technically he isn't wrong? ]

[regressive]

A boner, huh.

[ He tries not to laugh, but it's not as easy to keep it in. Actually, he snorts after a few moments and covers his mouth with his hand. ]

I might. But... I'd rather not go all the way while we're in the game.

[dapples]

Don't worry, I know.

[ He peppers some soft kisses along Joonghyuk's jawline. ]

Maybe that's the challenge if you make me moan ... [ Getting a boner with nothing to do about it. ]

[regressive]

Aren't you mistaking challenge with torture?

[ Joonghyuk scoffs a laugh while a pleasant jolt runs down his spine in response to these delicate kisses ]

Maybe we should admire the view after all?

[ He's just teasing. ]

[dapples]

Hey ... [ He pouts! Mean!! ]

[regressive]

Just kidding.

[ He can't resist and leans in to kisses these pouty lips. ]

But I wish I could just hold you like this offline.

[dapples]

[ The kiss is appreciated, at least ... in fact, he'll just go ahead and steal another. ]

We'll be able to again some day. In the meantime, I'm glad this technology allows me to be close to the person I love the most. [ Aww. ]

[regressive]

Hey...

[ He wasn't ready for this all out attack. If there was an achievement for making Yoo Joonghyuk blush in this game, Brambles would get it now. It takes him a while to regain his composure, but when that finally happens, Joonghyuk leans in and whispers into Brambles' ear. ]

So...how the person you love the most can spoil you today?

[dapples]

[ Brambles shudders at that whisper in his ear, cheeks darkening. ]

H-However he wants ...

[regressive]

However he wants...?

[ That's as unprecise as it can get, but it brings a smirk to Joonghyuk's lips. ]

There's no turning back.

[ Of course there is—if he noticed that Brambles weren't enjoying the affections, Joonghyuk would absolutely stop right away. That being said, he leans in a bit lower, showering the other man's collarbones with soft yet hungry kisses. ]

[dapples]

[ His voice hikes up a squeaky octave when those kisses land on his oh-so sensitive neck, causing Brambles to bite down on his lower lip in attempt to stifle his noises. ]

Ah! G-God... [ He can feel his arousal pulsing between his legs and he's more than a little embarrassed about it - since Joonghyuk will definitely be able to tell. But what can he do in this circumstance? Nothing. ]

[regressive]

It feels wrong to make you come in-game...

[ Joonghyuk murmurs against his smooth skin, his hand gliding over Brambles' thigh. It might be wrong, but in the end he might not be able to hold himself back. ]

[dapples]

[ He shudders. ] That's so lewd.

[ This entire situation is so lewd! But, here they are ... and here he is. He can't stop himself from moaning, pressing into that contact on his thigh. ]

I-If you don't let me come, I'll die ... I'll truly die ...