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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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Your instructions were good, too.
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[ Big fucking "pot, kettle" vibes here, but that's what he really feels about it. ]
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[Not a single crack about his own communication problems.]
Have I leveled up enough for your head?
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[ Nanashi is a little endearing like this, but he was already endearing a little before. Just a little strange, and... Hien hopes that Nanashi doesn't end up like him one day.
He takes the hood off and slowly unravels the bandages from his head. He actually looks fine. The external wounds have healed, at least. ]
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Hmm... Your head doesn't look injured, but you still want it wrapped?
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[ Probably. It sounds about right. The bandages are doing more to keep his head together, really. He still has a headache whenever he has to change bandages, but he tries not to let that show on his face. He gives Nanashi another roll of bandages for him to use. Go on. Show him what you learned. ]
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[He will do just that, wrapping Hien's head again, speaking up occasionally to make sure it's just as tight as it needs to be but not too much so.]
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... Huh. It's pretty good.
[ Now his entire head is bandaged again! Yay! ]
You have a knack for this. Go be a nurse or something after you leave the game.
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Have you learned medicine or first aid before?
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[ Yeah. ]
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[ He figures Nanashi doesn't need to know the brutality behind it, so that's what he'll keep it to, unless he asks. ]
So I needed to know how to keep myself together.
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Was somebody hurting you?
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[ Hien hesitates a little. But.
Fuck it. ]
I was a disposable attack dog for a gang, so recovery was up to me alone.
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Hien...
Is that why you don't have a name?
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[ He looks at Nanashi. Is that concern...? ]
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Can I try giving you a name again?
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[ Make your case, Nanashi. ]
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...Karamaru. [烏丸] Not an attack dog, but a crow.
You dress like death, but you can fly away and make your own life if you want. And... even though they look ominous, they're smart and social.
You don't have to stay alone.
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[ But he doesn't reject the name right off the bat like before. Crows are cool. Probably because Nanashi brought up an animal motif. ]
It also sounds like a name you'd give a pet for some reason...
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[He really is trying though...]
I don't think you aren't smart. And even if you aren't sociable, I just thought to myself, "I'd like to be friends with him!"
So even if it isn't a whole flock, if you have a few friends, that's enough.
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I thought about it. Thanks for trying to come up with a name. Crows are nice. I like seeing them.
[ He appreciates the effort, at least. ]
But I think sticking with "Hien" is good enough for me. It's a borrowed name, but it's still a name and... maybe my grandfather would have liked that.
[ He looks at Nanashi evenly and gets up. ]
I hope that you'll continue to see the good sides of life. You're still young...
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I'll try. But, um, does that mean... "Hien" counts as a name for you too, now?
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[ He looks evenly at Nanashi. ]
A part of me that I'll eventually lose too, but... see, my "name" outside the virtual space is "NoName". A little like naming someone "Null". A little like "Nanashi". I'm not allowed one, and I can't change it. I mostly borrowed "Hien" so that I can be referred to easily.
... That's it, really.
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