⬣//GROWING WILDLY OUT OF CONTROL.

[cccorp]

>>Gathering // >>Waiting // >>Can't Return // >>It's Real

⬣//STERILE WHITE WALLS

September 23rd—conference day. In the hours preceding the meeting, beta testers are supplied with information on how to access the virtual conference room and offered a set of conduct guidelines. Testers are urged to read them thoroughly and instructed to sign their name on the bottom of the page to confirm that they’ve read and understand the following guidelines:

1. All questions will be addressed. Do not interrupt speakers or other beta testers when they are asking questions or having their questions answered.

2. Conduct yourself professionally and appropriately. Do not curse, shout, or otherwise engage in disruptive behavior. Violators will be muted and their speaking privileges revoked.

3. No eating or drinking. Keep your virtual space clean and free of debris.

4. Remain seated. Excessive movement or inappropriate behavior will result in restriction of your avatar’s movements.

5. PvP is disabled in the conference room. Weapons cannot be drawn and your Fragment inventory is unavailable during the duration of the conference.

Players are generously allowed one hour to filter in and find their seats, review the guidelines, and discuss the questions they’ve prepared with their fellow beta testers.

⬣//THE LOW RUMBLE OF DISTANT THUNDER

One hour comes and goes. The room remains occupied only by the beta participants, CyberConnect Corporation’s flashy logo spinning idly on the conference room’s 80 inch display. Restlessness begins to settle in, idle chatter turning to frustration as one hour becomes two. Still, no one from the Corporation shows.

The conference room remains devoid of purpose, some forty-odd people sitting alone in a sterile conference room, a locked room, should anyone grow so restless they try to leave. Any attempts made to break doors and windows will fail.

The door is locked, as are the windows, the world beyond their stark white blinds a slurry of purple and black. Thunder crackles in that dark, endless void. Even if you could leave, where would you go?

⬣//TORRENTIAL RAINS

It’s painfully evident after three hours of silence that no one from CyberConnect is showing up to the conference, but you knew that already, didn’t you? This mandatory meeting was fishy from the start, some would argue, while others may yet hold out hope.

That ends the instant anyone tries to log out and leave. Everyone who attempts to leave will be met with the same error Shoka was some weeks ago, but this time, the error is permanent. This time, there is no connection between mind and body anymore, and any attempt to “reach” your real self will fail.

You feel no one on the other end. You no longer feel the weight of your headset on your head or the keyboard beneath your fingertips. All your worldly aches and pains have drifted away only to find you here in your new reality, every sensation so real that Fragment no longer feels like just a game. Fragment is reality.

Three hours pass from the start of the conference. The boring white walls and rickety office chairs shudder and shake and give way to the Mac Anu everyone knows. You’re back where you started, more or less. What you do from here is up to you.

⬣//LOST TO THE TUMULT AND BEDLAM

Some menus remain online. Players retain the ability to send and receive friend and party requests, access their inventories, spells, and weapons, and so on, but a few notable items are missing.

Players can no longer toggle their pain sensors on and off. Every blow you take is one you’re forced to suffer through, and what’s more, your health no longer automatically regenerates when idle. You’d better keep a stash of potions or a pocket healer handy.

While you’re at it, try not to die. The sharp-eyed among the group may notice that the respawn information nestled in the menus is no longer accessible to them. The respawn counter now reads as a series of zeros instead of the typical 20 minutes. Now is probably not the best time to continue testing Fragment’s death mechanics, but nothing’s stopping you from trying. No one’s going to save you, either.

Good luck, players. The real test has begun.

>>Navigation

Comments

[dissimulative]

Yup!

[ Oria goes over to pat Sinclair's tail. ]

It's so bushy... Hehe.

[insinning]

[ It's very soft too. And if it can actually move in response to feelings, it might be lashing a little]

This is so weird.

[ But Oria with cat ears is so cute?? So cute????]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria tries to hold onto the tail tightly so it stops moving around so much. ]

Gotcha. Stop moving your tail so much!

[insinning]

[Yelping indignantly. His fox ears flatten against his head in response. ok now his tail is trapped and he has no idea what Oria is doing behind him]

It's not on purpose.

[dissimulative]

[ He's just petting it... nothing nefarious! ]

You know, the other day, when we were talking about cat maids and them saying certain things... I found someone who'd like that.

[insinning]

That was mostly you. [ Just going to put that out there. His ears slowly perk back up with Oria just petting his tail]

But who would like that?

[dissimulative]

We were having a conversation, so you're included! I'm not gonna out them, but just know that some people would like that.

[ Oria feels so smug about it too. His point is made, and he wonders how sensitive the tail is... Hm. ]

Does it feel weird if I do this?

[ He grips the end of the tail tightly. ]

[insinning]

[ Okay but why. And Sinclair yelps, his tail lashing again]

That's definitely weird.

[He'll escape Oria's grip and grab Oria's tail to make a point if he can]

[dissimulative]

[ Oops. Oria definitely let go after that. He was so startled that his own tail is grabbed and that hurts!! AAAAAAaaaaaaa

So clearly, the thing he needs to do here is reach out and pull on Sinclair's cheek. ]

Ow!!!

[insinning]

[ Letting go now, owowoww]

You started it. Don't gwab people's tails.

[huffing. but...now Oria's ears are in reach. Leaning up to rub them]

[dissimulative]

[ Fine, he'll let go of Sinclair's cheek. Hmph!! Oria's cat ears twitch and flatten on his head when Sinclair reaches out to touch them. ]

It's kinda weird how all my piercings don't go on the cat ears either. I don't have human ears now.

[ He moves his own hair out of the way. No human ears! Only cat ears. ]

I can see, smell, and hear things just a little better too. It still doesn't help if I take my glasses off though.

[ He's still legally blind without them... ]

[insinning]

Huh...I guess it's a potion that could be useful outside of appearances.

[ Sniffing a little - yeah, everything does feel sharper. Also can he scritch Oria at the base of his ears? Please?? ]

[dissimulative]

[ GHhhhhhhh fine, Oria will let him. It feels weird, but he will allow Sinclair to do what he wants. ]

... I'm not an actual cat.

[insinning]

I know. But they feel so real...

[His ears are perked forward, clearly intent. Cute? Cute???]

... it's cute...

[dissimulative]

So you really like cat ears after all.

[ He's feeling a little huffy. He doesn't enjoy being called cute... ]

[insinning]

[ That face is also cute...]

I didn't think of it as cute until now.

[petpetpet ok he'll stop....now]

[dissimulative]

You're also a "I only like it on my significant other" kind of person, huh?

[ Mood, but Oria is just trying to tease him. The cat ears twitch a lot when Sinclair stops petting him and he shakes his head as if trying to get the bangs out of his face. It's really just the ears. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair's tail swishes slowly, happily]

Mmm, I guess so.

[That's also so cute?? Help]

Is that so strange?

[dissimulative]

Nope!

[ Because he's one too, and they established that before. ]

I wonder if the game gave you fox ears because your forum icon is also a fox! And you wrote about one.

[ ... ]

You like them a lot, huh?

[insinning]

Mm. There used to be a family of one that lived in the woods behind my family's home.

[ ... ok not dwelling on that]

I always liked watching them.

[dissimulative]

[ No wonder Sinclair has been fond of them. That's definitely a family tie as well, and he tries not to let Sinclair dwell on that. ]

I wonder if I drink the potion enough times, I can also get a fox set...

[ He looks over at Sinclair's fox ears and tail. ]

Would it suit me though?

[insinning]

[ Swish. Swish. Sinclair looks at Oria. What if indeed]

I think you'd look cool with them.

[ Cool, not cute. Cool-cute. He's trying to encourage Oria here]

[dissimulative]

[ He holds in his laughter, because he can tell that Sinclair is trying at least. ]

More than the cat ears I have right now...?

[ He leans in with a very mischievous face. ]

Master Nyan.

[insinning]

The cat ears are cute but...

[Sinclair calmly reaches up and puts his hands on Oria's face. Then he squishes]

You need a butler's outfit first before you try that.

[dissimulative]

[ Bwuh... Oria shakes his head quickly so that he can try to free himself from the hold. ]

So you're saying that you'd be into it if I wore a butler outfit.