⬣//SPREAD, CONTAMINATE, ERADICATE

[cccorp]

>>Famine // >>Death // >>War // >>Conquest

⬣//AN ILL OMEN

You've had a chance to adapt to your new circumstances and make peace with what your life has become… hopefully. If you haven't, don't expect life to get any easier.

A few things have changed in recent days. Healing no longer works as effectively as it did in the past. If you're in the habit of behaving recklessly, don't expect one of Fragment's few healers to pick up the slack. Broken bones will now remain broken no matter how many healing spells are cast on your shattered limbs. Damage to organs can't be repaired with the wave of a wand.

What's more, HP and SP restoring items have gotten harder and harder to come by. Potions are no longer available for purchase at generic NPC shops and gatherable items needed for crafting have become fewer and fewer in number, limiting your item making options. If you've gotten into the bad habit of injuring yourself heedless of the consequences, it's time to rethink your lifestyle. Playtime is over.

⬣//PAY IT NO MIND

Think of the three core memories that have formed and shaped the person you are today. Some will think back fondly on family and friends while others have been jaded by the ill treatment they've received from important figures in their lives. In any case, it's of little concern to you now. One of those three precious memories has vacated your mind, taking with it a vital piece of you that you can no longer get back.

You may choose one of the three key memories listed on your application to be taken away from your character. Choices are limited to the memories supplied in your application and additional memories submitted for the previous memshare event or not eligible for convenient plot-induced memory loss. Choose wisely, because you aren't getting it back.

⬣//GHOSTS AND GOBLINS

And Sky Fish, and Disco Knives, and Evil Armors…

Has anyone noticed the monsters around town lately? Which town, you may ask? The answer is all of them.

Monsters have invaded Root Towns in large waves, attacking anything and everything in sight. Any lovingly crafted signs or other furnishings you've erected around town are easily torn to shreds and destroyed by the monsters who have come to roost in your once safe Root Towns. On the plus side, PvE and PvP has now been enabled in all Root Towns, which is excellent news for those who wish to combat the monster invasion and those who can't seem to help hurting themselves and others.

These monsters range in level from 50 to 75, and while many of them can be defeated with a bit of ingenuity and teamwork, some of them boast impenetrable shields that no regular attacks or spells can break through. They are also immune to status/potion/armor effects.

When in doubt, turn to your fellow players for support. There may be some among you who know how to deal with these impossibly strong monsters, but there's no guarantee that they'll want to help you.

⬣//WHISPERS ON THE WIND

A lilting, boyish voice sings to you in your sleep. His voice sounds familiar to you, tickling your heart like a call from an old friend, but this is no friend of yours.

"You had every chance to abandon this world and return to your own. What stopped you? Was it ego? Hubris? In any case, it's too late for regrets now.

They say the world is what you make of it. Doesn't the same hold true for reality?"

The voice will periodically visit you and your sleep, but the moral of his message never changes: you did this to yourself. You were trapped here because you chose to look the other way. If anyone is to blame for the current situation, it's you and you alone, but there is a̸̬̲͔̘͈͚̠̫̘̬̗̖̋͑̉̓̿͛̈́̋͐̃̾̈̕̕ͅń̵̩̱̠̫̖̬̲̻͉̝̈́̀̀̚͜͜o̴͍͎̣͔̤̝̲͍̺̿̒t̴̨͚͓͍̜̮̥͊͑̿̈́̉̂̐͜͠͝h̷̨̨̦͕͖̙̞͙̗̗͎̬͛̂̾̋̅͜͜͝ȩ̸͎̭̙̜̯͎̯̳̮̘̲͒ȑ̸̡̧̢͓̠̦͙͇͍͎̭͑̈́̓̿̓̅̑̅̌͑̈́̕͝͝ ̴̧̼͕̟̬̰̞̮̗͔͈̬̙͍̈́̀w̵̗̖̩̘͇͖̲̩̫̣̗̙̲̌͜a̷̛͎͋͑̃͛̆̈̋̑̋͠y̴̡̬͕͈̗̫̯̟̯͊͐̌̀̐͑͘͝͝.

Another h̶̦̘̤̘͐͑̿̂̏̎͋͝o̴̧͖͚̖̜͓͂̏́͒̑̈́͝͝p̶̡͙̏̉̿̎̀̑́̈̆͌̉e̷̡̡̦̣̯̘̺͍̟̰͍̤͛̀́̚͝͠. Will you heed that voice and call to it?

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Comments

new roots

[deto]

[ oh she smiled at him, and now she’s nodding. he doesn’t smile back since he doesn’t know her, but he does nod in greeting ]

Hey. What are you doing?

[ well, he’s not up to anything right now so might as well chat ]

[rebelles]

[ Haru straightens up, adjusting the brim of her hat that had fallen low while she was crouched. ]

I'm trying to grow herbs. [ A closer look would reveal the herbs are the harvestable kind used in recipes. ] Gardening helps take my mind off things.

[deto]

Oh.

[ yeah, everything is kind of a lot and he's been trying not to think about it too much. at least, not around people. at night, however... ]

Can I help? I don't know much though. But it's pretty cool to do these kinda things yourself.

[rebelles]

I'd love to have help. Let me get you some gloves.

[ She shuffles over to the compartment where she's stored seeds and other gardening items. ]

It's a very relaxing hobby.

[deto]

Thanks. I’m… Updeto, by the way.

[ which is the most awkward introduction because he’s not used to introducing himself by a UN and also she can literally see it

holding back the urge to say just call me deto ]

I mean, yeah, it seems so. Not really much to it besides planting and watering right?

[rebelles]

A pleasure to meet you, Updeto. I'm Noir.

[ Haru carries on smoothly with no trace of awkwardness. She values the personal touch even if their names are visible already. With everything looking and feeling real in the VR world, there was no reason for introductions to be different.

She hands him a pair of spare gloves and a small shovel, and also trades him Aromatic Grass(x20). ]

Would you mind planting these here? [ Gesturing to a square patch of soil. ] Normally we'd harvest grass in the field, but I'm trying to see if we can grow them in our own backyard.

[deto]

[ he probably would have done this with his bare hands and no shovel, but he does accept the items she traded him ]

Does spacing matter? Depth?

[ he starts digging the first hole as he asks ]

[rebelles]

[ She wouldn't say no if he wanted to work barehanded. Some people like the feel of the earth between their fingers, and she's not about speed here, not at all. ]

About this deep.

[ Haru sticks the tip of her shovel into the soil to show him how much. ]

As for spacing, I've been trying different things. [ She taps her notebook where she hopes to record how the grass grows, whether it's the type that spreads. ] Why don't you leave room around the sides?

[deto]

Gotcha.

[ he stares intently at her shovel for a long moment to make sure he has the right depth memorized, then sets out to start planting ]

You know how the Root Towns are filled with monsters? Seems like things are getting worse and worse in the sanctuary areas. What if you put one of those signs up for your garden? The uh… Keep Out signs. Saw it on the list of starter items I could craft.

[rebelles]

Oh, does it ward them away? Putting up a Keep Out sign makes the garden feel unwelcoming, but if it keeps it safe...

[ Haru had wanted her garden to be a garden for the community, but she's also seen the towns getting ransacked. Hmm, sacrifices may have to be made. ]

[deto]

I dunno if you could adjust it to make sure it only keeps out what’s unwanted? Wouldn’t hurt to try. If these plants take as long as real plans to grow…

[ then losing a crop would really suck ]

[rebelles]

Oh, I can paint over the sign so it's not so menacing. Something like 'Please don't step on or eat the plants. Thank you. -Noir.'

[ The most polite keep out sign. ]

[deto]

[ jp polite society so he doesn't see any problems with this and thinks people will listen bc why wouldn't they ]

Maybe take out the "thank you"? Less words to read and the point will still get across.

[rebelles]

True, it's a lot to squeeze onto one sign. I'll think about how to condense it.

[ Drop her name here, a word there, hold on are monsters even part of polite society. ...don't think too hard about it, the code will probably take care of it. ]

Thank you for the idea!

[deto]

[ yeah, noir, do it for the the people who are lazy-illiterate ]

You don’t have to thank me. I’m the one barging in on your gardening time.

[rebelles]

Not at all. It's nice to have company.

[ Her hands move to pat soil down around a plant as she speaks. ]

If you'd like, you can stay for refreshments afterwards. We have drinks and snacks in the guild.

[deto]

[ oh that’s right this is a guild ]

Which guild is it?

[rebelles]

We're the Phantom Operatives.

[ How to describe them? They started as a guild of players helping players, and they still are, but the stakes are bigger now. It wasn't just a game anymore. ]

We're searching for a way to help Fragment, and for a way home.

[deto]

Phantom like… ghosts?

[ she doesn’t really seem the type to be into spooks though, but maybe gardening and ghosts go hand-in-hand here ]

[rebelles]

Not quite. More like secret agents.

[ But mostly she and Arsène had picked it for sounding cool. ]

[deto]

That’s cool. Like 007, saving the literal digital world, huh? And also helping to keep the supply chain going.

[ patting the dirt ]

Not really stuff I think about. Guess I should step it up.

[rebelles]

Yes, or at the very least, keep each other safe.

[ She feels a little embarrassed to be compared to a hero since she doesn't feel like one, but. ]

The door is open if you ever feel like joining.

[deto]

I dunno what I would contribute, though. That okay?

[rebelles]

As long as you believe in our cause, you're welcome. The rest we'll figure out together.

[ There are many ways someone can contribute. Come here Deto we'll put you to work. ]

[deto]

[ you know, why not? nice people are just convincing ]

I’m sold.