⬣//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

[insinning]

Mm, a hunch of suits weirdly enough. Something I can't figure out--oh and a pajama set.

[ He'll look silly but he'll be comfy at night]

[dissimulative]

Pajama set?

[ Oria is thinking of something like a nice, cotton shirt and comfortable pants of the same materials with a simple repeating pattern all over it. ]

I bet it would look cute on you. Maybe they ran out of creativity and that's why you kept getting suits.

[insinning]

It's very fluffy. Kinda weird.

[ Fair warning Oria. He presses a little closer. He'll try to recharge a little more before he showers ]

Mmm... maybe. Guess they had only so many templates to use.

[dissimulative]

Fluffy...?

[ Oria is confused. He may be a closet nerd, but kigus aren't on his mind right now. He gently rubs Sinclair's back to try and make him feel better. There, there. ]

Guess you'll just have to put it on for me to know.

[insinning]

Mm, I don't know how else to describe it. Like a costume but for sleep...

[ Sinclair hums, drowsy with the petting ]

After I shower.

[dissimulative]

A costume but for sleep?

[ Oh.

He thinks he gets it now. ]

Go ahead and take your shower. I'll still be here.

[ Though he feels like Sinclair doesn't want to go, so— ]

Unless you want me to take it with you.

[insinning]

[ Despite his low mood, Sinclair jolts up, turning bright red]

You already had one, I can shower on my own-!

[Escaping temporarily for now. Nyoom]

[dissimulative]

[ Yup, this is how Oria expected it to go, so he laughs a little when Sinclair leaves to go shower. He sighs and tries really hard not to fall asleep... but the bed makes it so hard... ]

[insinning]

[ Bright side about having short hair again is how much easier it is to shower. Better. He scrubs himself thoroughly and rinses off, changing into the chicken kigu... yeah. He flips the hood down to finish drying his hair, then he crawls back into bed.

Is Oria still awake??]

[dissimulative]

[ He sure is. When Sinclair climbs back into bed, Oria notices thr weight of the mattress shift, making him open his eyes and...

... ]

Oh, you cut your hair.

[ He just realized this. ]

[insinning]

[ Ah. He thought Oria had noticed earlier and just didn't say anything]

Mm. It got caught on something gross in a dungeon...it was easier to just change it for now so it wouldn't keep happening.

[ Not at all because he felt miserable and out of sorts!! Though it didn't help.

Pressing in close again]

[dissimulative]

Yeah, that's true.

[ He will just keep it to himself that people grab long hair when they try to catch them, so it's always advantageous to tie or cut it. Sorry for his dark mind.

He gives Sinclair a short kiss. ]

Still not feeling better, huh? I wonder what I should do to cheer you up~

[insinning]

What are you planning?

[ Sinclair might have learned that the hard way. He kisses Oria back, short and sweet]

I probably just need some sleep...

[dissimulative]

Did you feel lonely because I wasn't with you when you slept?

[ He's only half joking. ]

[insinning]

Wh-

[Flustering but. Sinclair will actually take a moment to think about this. Hmmm]

Hmmm, Orion took your spot though.

[ Is Sinclair joking? Yes. Probably.]

[dissimulative]

I see how it is.

[ Oria starts to sit up— ]

[insinning]

[ Nooooooo. Sinclair yanks Oria back down, flustering. Stay back in bed]

I was kidding-! I did miss you--

[dissimulative]

[ He expected to be pulled back down, but not to this level. Oof. ]

Sorry, sorry! I know you did!

[ Oria laughs a little. The concept and fear of being replaced still stings him considering his real life circumstances, but he supposes he deserved that from teasing Sinclair.

Yes, even by a small virtual dog. ]

[insinning]

[ Sinclair shakes his head with a huff, holding Oria
firmly. Nope. Oria doesn't get to leave again ]

I can't hug Orion like this after all.

[Oria gets pushed back just a little to lay flat on his back so Sinclair can lay his head on Oria's shoulder and rest his hand against his chest. Even like this, he can feel the steady beat of his heart]

[dissimulative]

... Yeah, I know.

[ Oria breathes out. The heart sure is beating strong, and Oria suspects it's so that Sinclair can take comfort in the fact that he's alive. He gives him a kiss on the side of his head since it's on his shoulder now. ]

What do you want me to do?

[insinning]

[ His fingers curl against Oria's shirt a little. He's exhausted. He feels like he should be ready to pass out at any moment. And yet]

Stay...

[ He leans up and kisses Oria intently. ]

Let me be greedy.

[If he soaks up enough of Oria's warmth, he can finally chase away that chill haunting him]

[dissimulative]

I can do that.

[ Oria returns the kiss with similar strength, but keeps it short. His arms wrap around Sinclair to hug him tight while burying his hand into his hair. It may still be a little wet, but he's fine with this. ]

[insinning]

Thank you.

[ Something indefinable relaxes in him and Sinclair smiles, settling back down against Oria's shoulder. Oria? Now Sinclair's pillow.

He can sleep better now]

[dissimulative]

[ Being a pillow for Sinclair isn't so bad. He gets to be close to him, and fulfill what Sinclair wants. He wonders what happened in the days when he wasn't here, but for Sinclair to seem clingy... Oria will ask later when the two of them aren't as exhausted.

It's way past his usual bedtime, so Oria falls asleep easily after putting his glasses on the nightstand that's within reach. ]

Good night, Emil. Sweet dreams.

[insinning]

[It's probably a testament to how tired Sinclair is that he passes out first, with just a sleepy murmur of good night.

With Oria so close, his dreams are calm and steady but it's hard to want to wake up when there's no morning to remind them of a new day. So he remains stubbornly pressed to Oria.]