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⬣//SPREAD, CONTAMINATE, ERADICATE
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.
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.
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.
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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[ he waits ]
You know everything else we talked about. You remember the rest, don’t you? It was - it’s easy to talk about anything with you. Whatever was on my mind.
… And if anything, I probably pushed you to talk about it more than you wanted to.
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There's no blanks, no fuzziness, nothing. Everything I remember... it has nothing to do with any of that.
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[ deto doesn’t think it’s a good idea to just forget, but maybe nanashi wanted the choice so bad that now that it’s here, it would be wrong to change his mind
but deto thinks about the other nanashi, who thought so lowly of himself, that he would have accepted being erased like this
his heart hurts ]
I could tell you more of it, but maybe not now? You don’t seem like… you want that…
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...If I can't remember important things we talked about...
Would you really accept me? Or would you just be thinking of the person you spent all that time with...?
[Being both just... doesn't sound possible, to him at present.]
...I don't like seeing you unhappy, either.
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[There's a glimmer of the old Nanashi in his expression, a smile just a little too tight as he draws his foot back after all. So quick to throw himself under the bus for another's comfort.]
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Tell me the rest. Everything you want right now.
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I don't know anymore. This has all been so confusing.
[The Nanashi that cheerfully wrote such awful things about himself... the Nanashi he is now... which one's the truth?]
...I think...
Right now, I just want to stay with you? ...If that's okay.
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[ he’s committed to having this bun stay with him, so he adds: ]
You know… instead of wondering which you, I’m thinking of. I’m just thinking of you, Nacchin. Just you. Um, a lot.
[ like, a truly stupid amount ]
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-Eh...?
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[This Nanashi doesn't hate himself enough to mentally shoot himself down on behalf of others immediately, which means between that, proximity, and the general emotional charge of the situation, he goes slightly pink.]
...
How much is a lot?
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Uh. Everyday since we met. Whenever I’m not with you. And more when I’m with you.
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W-well...
You're probably the closest person I have here, or... Um, if my memories really did get messed up-
[A beat. And then:]
...Probably ever?
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You don’t have to force yourself or anything. It’s not like I really have any experience with this either.
[ which sounds a little off, but he can’t place why ]
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I definitely don't remember any experience.
[Even with all his memories of having friends.]
...But... I don't mind learning?
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Er. Don’t… tell me if you somehow remember that you do. I’ll get jealous. I think.
[ if nanashi ever said he liked any of those trash assholes deto’s never met,,, ]
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[And like
does he really think the Nanashi he spoke to before was someone in a healthy, committed relationship,,,,,]
And we drifted apart anyway. So... it's definitely just you now.
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We’re friends, and we should probably stay friends for now. Even though I definitely, definitely - [ he takes a breath ] - like you. I hope that’s obvious by now. But, uh, this is a lot for you, isn’t it?
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...Yeah. I don't... really know what's going on with me right now.
[As much as he feels like there isn't anything, the forum posts are clear evidence otherwise.]
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[ he doesn’t know if there’s a wrong or right answer to this situation ]
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Is he allowed to just bury his head in Deto's shoulder for a moment?]
I still don't... really want to go back. If all that stuff's true.
But you want to, don't you?
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Yeah. [ deto does. there’s his sister, his mom, his friends. someone else pops into mind but they slip away before he can recall their name or their face ] There’s stuff I wanna show you outside, that I can’t do here.
And. [ a little laugh that rustles nanashi’s hair ] I wanna see you.
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[It sounds so lonely... Especially if he really doesn't have anyone else.]
...Wait for me? So I can think about it.
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[ he sounds confused - oh ]
Okay, I definitely can’t last that long without seeing you. Let’s be real. If you multiply how much I think about you with how many days are in a year, do you think I’ll come out of it sane??
[ he’s a teenager. get real ]
The year thing was the time I was asking you to wait before moving ‘cause you said you might, not how long we’d have to wait to see each other. I’ll come see you before then. Often.
But I’ll wait for you anyway, whatever you decide.
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