⬣//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

iii!!

[userunfriendly]

[ Michel is not, by his nature, inclined to poke his nose into others' business. But this isn't a time to lose track of people, either. Most especially not friends.

When Fai fails to emerge at what Michel considers appropriate intervals, Michel leans his back against the door with the audible thump of his weight settling against it. And waits. ]

...If you don't come out to eat, I'm cooking you something.

[ This may or may not be a threat. Michel may or may not know this is a threat. ]

[fluorite]

[ That thump gets his attention, and he stands by the door, contemplating opening it to see what that sound was.

Michel's voice, and his words, are what gets him to actually open up that door. ]

...You don't need to do that.

[userunfriendly]

[ Michel moves aside before he tumbles back into the room, turning to look at Fai as he does.

...When was the last time he saw him so dispirited? Ever? ]

That had better be because you're going to eat now.

[fluorite]

[ He pulls a sandwich out of his inventory. ]

Is this good enough?

[ It better be, his tone seems to suggest. Fai makes his way back to his bed, sandwich in hand, and sits on the edge of it. ]

[userunfriendly]

[ Michel eyes it skeptically — although, honestly, he's the worst person to judge this. It's the attitude more than the food that raises alarm bells for him.

He lets himself into the room unapologetically and finds himself a seat. Yes, he is going to make certain Fai eats at least that much. ]

It's a start. Are you going to tell me what's wrong?

[fluorite]

[ He laughs softly, though it's not a pleasant laugh. It's bitter and unsure. ]

You know... I don't really know where to start. [ Fai stares down at his sandwich, his appetite not stirring, before he glances up at Michel. ] I think my boyfriend is dead, for one.

[userunfriendly]

[ Michel draws in a sharp, startled breath, jerking his head back as he straightens. He wasn't expecting any good news with the way things have been lately, but that...

They'd been fortunate enough to avoid any deaths here so far. Or so he had believed. ]

...What do you mean? What happened?

[fluorite]

None of my messages went through to him, so I messaged Hien, figuring he would know.

[ His fingers dig into the bread of the sandwich, creasing it slightly. ]

Hien said that Yael challenged him to the death.

[ The outcome is easy enough to assume here. ]

I'd like to think that Hien was simply being vague, that it isn't true, but I'm sure you understand that I can't let myself hope for the best either.

[userunfriendly]

[ In certain situations, hope can be a poison. He knows that... very well. His fingers curl involuntarily against his knees, digging in in sympathy. ]

He's military. And we all know what will happen if we die while unable to log out. Would he really have been that reckless?

[ Or that cocky? Yael hadn't struck him as such a hothead. And Hien— well, Hien is a more difficult puzzle. That smile "Have you ever killed someone before"... ]

[fluorite]

Yes. He would have.

[ Fai knows how far Yael's reckless behavior can go, and why he does things the way that he does, but it still hurts to see him do it anyway. ]

I'm angry with him.

[ A simple, quiet statement, honesty that he's allowing Michel to see. ]

[userunfriendly]

[ Ah. It stands to reason that Fai would know him best... and that Fai would never have been so troubled if that thought hadn't already occurred to him. ]

...For doing it at all? Or for not saying anything to you first?

[ And leaving Fai to wonder and hunt for answers. Thinking of it in that light... Michel is a little angry at the man himself. ]

[fluorite]

Both.

[ He smiles at Michel, his eyes stinging as he does so. ]

When I woke up, he was gone. [ With a pause, Fai tucks his sandwich back into his inventory. His appetite is gone again. ] I... woke up somewhat, because he kissed me on the head and said he loved me. You know how it is, though... I went right back to sleep.

[ Fai's voice grows quieter with each word before he finally looks up at Michel. ]

And that was it.

[userunfriendly]

[ Michel pushes himself up from the seat he'd taken, moving to perch himself awkwardly beside Fai on the bed. He doesn't know what kind of consolation he can offer here, but... he can try. ]

I... can imagine it, yes.

[ The sleepy haze, no sense of urgency that would prompt him to wake further. Why would he even give it a second thought? Until later. ]

I don't think anything is certain. Hien seems like he would say what was necessary to end a conversation. But telling you to hope for the best would be irresponsible. Regardless... Yael deserves your anger. If there's something you want to say to him, you should say it.

[fluorite]

[ Michel's proximity does make him feel a little bit better, tempering some of the fire burning in his chest.

And hearing that his anger is justified on top of that too? It... makes him feel like he isn't in the wrong for feeling this way. It's nice. ]

I will. I think... if I get the chance, I'll tell him to think about others before he does something stupid like that again. [ A pause as his voice grows softer: ] To think about me.

[ After all, Yael isn't alone anymore. ]

[userunfriendly]

What... was he thinking of? Do you have any idea?

[ Michel can spin off a half dozen presumptions if he lets his thoughts run away with him. If he put himself in Yael's position — what might drive him to leave the one he loved with nothing more than a brief kiss and a memory.

Did he think Hien had a way out? Some justification beyond what sounds, on the face of it, to be a death wish. ]

[fluorite]

[ He has a rough idea, or at least a possible list of things that might piss Yael off enough to go confront the head admin himself despite their difference in levels. ]

I think... it doesn't matter, not at this point. More than anything, the result itself matters.

[userunfriendly]

[ Wouldn't the reasons matter? If it were for Fai? Michel's brow creases minutely, clearly not quite understanding. But it isn't all that hard for him to see where Fai is coming from. ]

...I take your point. [ Considering what Fai is going through now, well. ] For a man who could tell you he loves you, it's... surprisingly thoughtless.

[fluorite]

[ It would, if it were for Fai. If he sacrificed himself for Fai... hm. He wouldn't be able to handle it, he thinks. ]

Yeah, he's a real jerk. A big asshole. I wish I could punch him right now, right in the jaw.

[userunfriendly]

That would... probably be a very emphatic reminder.

[ He thinks of Ganymede, and files this away as a mental note. And then he thinks of Yael. ]

...It might take more than one. But I imagine he would be much more careful to think of you first, in the future.

[ A future they, in all likelihood, don't have. But he at least has the sense to recognize that wouldn't help to say. ]

[fluorite]

[ Thanks for having that sense, Michel. It's much appreciated. ]

I'd hope so. [ He smiles a little to himself before flopping back onto his bed. ] You know, he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Pretty embarrassing, isn't it? Maybe I'll need to punch him a second time for not following through on that.

[userunfriendly]

[ Let the record reflect that Michel has learned this much!! It's not much. And yet, it's progress. ]

I didn't have the impression that he was the type of man to say those words lightly.

[ After the way Yael talked about his future, too. Michel's opinion of him is slipping a little. ]

Were you going to? After you finish your thesis—

[ He pauses, uncertain at the next step to assume. Move in together? Get married? ]

[fluorite]

[ Fai didn't think so either, and yet.

And yet.

With a smile that's frayed at the edges, he stares up at the ceiling. ]

I would have gone wherever he wanted to go after getting discharged from the military. I can find any job I want with my degree, so if he found something that would make him happy, I would have followed.

[userunfriendly]

[ There's so much he can read into that smile, those choices. Michel watches him for a long moment before he leans over to bump his shoulder against Fai's. ]

You love him, then. If you were intending to uproot your life for him.

[ He can't imagine doing the same for anything less. ]

[fluorite]

[ He allows Michel to lean into his space, allowing the small amount of physical affection to be a bit of a healing balm. ]

...I do. I never told him, though. [ Fai pauses, wondering if he should continue, but ah... it doesn't matter anymore, does it? Might as well tell Michel what he's thinking. ] Yael said it first, you know, but I couldn't say it back.

[userunfriendly]

Ah.

[ There's a poorly contained wince in the single syllable. Michel can picture that a little too well. One more time, he and Fai are too alike. ]

...It isn't such a simple thing to say. He should have given you more time.