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⬣//BLOSSOMING FROM A GAP IN THE ASPHALT.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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[ Yes, despite the water gun. Michel gives him a look of something like fond exasperation. ]
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[ He laughs softly, that look of fond exasperation piercing right into his heart. He's weak for people with personalities like Michel's—it's all too easy to let them in, to let friendship take root. ]
I try not to assume that I'm included in that sort of thing.
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[ He pauses and frowns, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected the honesty to pull him up short here. ]
...I heavily implied we were friends. [ Argh. ] That was obviously what I meant. ...Though, I can't deny I would have thought the same way.
[ Not assuming, and not hoping for positive outcomes. ]
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We're similar in that way, I think.
[ In their negative outlooks, he means. Though Fai certainly presents himself differently than Michel, the way they both act keeps people at a distance. ]
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I didn't expect that... But ultimately, we all chose to be here, despite everything that's been happening. I doubt anyone without something to escape in their real lives would make that decision.
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[ Looking for some kind of escape. ]
It turns out the world here is much better in some ways.
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My mother wanted a daughter. She's in fragile health now, and her mind isn't what it was. I pretend to be what she wishes for in letters because I don't want to distress her... and because I wonder if she would cut ties with me completely if I did not.
[ A truth in exchange for Fai's truth, if incomplete. He wonders how much of the rest Fai could fill in, and holds in a quiet sigh until his lungs ache. ]
It is better here. I can simply exist without thinking about who I am supposed to be, or who I have to convince of it. If it were possible I would be tempted to stay.
[ The irony of this statement post update 5.0 by all rights should hit Michel over the head like a ton of bricks. Alas for time paradoxes. ]
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Incomplete it may be, but Fai can certainly fill in the blanks, and it's clear that he has by the way understanding flashes in his eyes as his smile softens. ]
I hope she can accept the great man you've grown up to be one day. You deserve that much.
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I don't have any expectations of it. But I pray you're right.
[ He clears his throat, hoping the words didn't sound the least bit hoarse to Yuui. ]
...I never would have believed honesty could be so exhausting.
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It is, isn't it? [ That much he can certainly admit to. ] It's freeing in a way, though. I feel... lighter, oddly enough.
[ Only a few people know the story behind his avatar's name, and it feels good that there is someone who at least understands his decision on some level. ]
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I can't believe I'm saying so... but I agree. I thought I would regret it.
[ But each time someone finds out a piece of this and yet still sees him as himself, it's as if the scope of possibilities in the world expands just a little. That the world — even the real world — might be less constrictive than he thought. ]
no subject
[ Like literal skeletons in his closet, but Fai can easily ignore that.
But what Michel told him gives Fai a deeper understanding into who he is. He's glad for that. ]
wrap here for new things maybe? :3c
I hope next time one of us feels the impulse for a confessional, we can do it while not under the influence of a curse.
[ Or at least, no curse stronger than alcohol. ]
yes :tippytap:
He can't make those kind of promises. ]
So do I. You've got me curious about what other things you might confess to. Perhaps something like your favorite food being strawberry shortcake?
[ Shocking!! ]
I don't say this to many people, but I consider you a good friend, Michel. I've got to go now, but I hope you take care.
:catwow:!!!
...You as well. Be mindful of these strange effects.
[ Or who knew what someone might pry out of him? Enough reason for Michel to be a little circumspect about his online time as well. He gives Fai a nod and turns to vanish, probably in the direction of yet another solo dungeon. ]