⬣//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]

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.]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria has a restful sleep, but he doesn't dream of anything. He usually doesn't.

Not having an accurate sense of time for days has been messing Oria up a little, but he tries to adhere to what his body feels whenever it's tired from staying awake for so long. Whatever activity he does during the day doesn't really affect him much either, since he's used to it.

But when he finally wakes, he opts to still stay in bed. He wonders if he should craft a penguin alarm just to keep a healthy sleep time of eight or nine hours, but he thinks they deserve to sleep in this time. He looks down to see Sinclair still clinging onto him in that chicken kigu. Cute. He doesn't get out of bed though, since he's very sure that Sinclair would like Oria to stay as he expressed last night.

So as Sinclair continues to sleep on top of Oria, the designated pillow starts looking at the forums to see if he missed anything. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair stirs properly as wakefulness creeps in. He's not sure what wakes him - the change in Oria's breathing? His own stubborn body waking up?]

...is it morning?

[Mumbling as he buries his face against Oria's chest. He doesn't particularly want to get up, but he feels groggy like he either overslept or underslept...]

[dissimulative]

Sure, we can say that.

[ He has no clue, but he gently pats Sinclair's head. Seeing him wake is nice like this... ]

Still a bit groggy?

[insinning]

[ Sinclair nods, tucking his head into the crook of Oria's neck]

Mmm. It's so hard to tell time without the clock and sun...

[dissimulative]

If I really cared about that kind of thing a lot, I'd make so many penguin alarms and keep myself going from root town to root town. But that involves too much work and it's too routine...

[ He puts the UI away and keeps patting Sinclair's head and running his fingers through his hair. ]

You don't wanna get up, huh?

[insinning]

Not really. It seems like work.

[ He'll keep clinging for a little longer. That hand in his hair feels nice...]

[dissimulative]

Yeah, so we are going for a free for all sort of schedule.

[ He continues the motions in Sinclair's hair, trying to soothe him as much as he can. ]

When you feel up for it, I wanna see the rest of the stuff you got from the skin vouchers.

[insinning]

What, like a fashion show?

[ That gets a tiny laugh out of Sinclair as he relaxes further]

[dissimulative]

Yeah! I'll show you the ones I got too.

[ Though Oria only has three so far... ]

How many did you even get anyway?

[insinning]

Eight, I think. Since I only got suits the first round...

[And he wanted comfortable clothes...]

[dissimulative]

"First round"?

[ Oria looks at Sinclair for a bit. ]

Are you planning on getting more?

[ Fashion is truly the endgame for all... ]