⬣//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?

>>Navigation

Comments

[dissimulative]

Your mind influenced the dungeon?

[ Emotional states can do that? He himself had been Through It, so he wonders just how bad Sinclair had it to actually affect an entire dungeon area. What the fuck, dude.

But then he saw his home. Oh... no, that can't be good. He's starting to understand why Sinclair was knocked out when Michel brought him in. ]

[insinning]

...I think so. The less confident I was, the stronger the monsters were. The angrier I was, the more they came. And all I could hear was that whistle.

[ Even though he came out of it with a renewed sense of convictions, it hurts to remember. Like pulling off. scab from a still healing wound]

The monsters were people dressed in white armor. And there were empty graves. I lost my mind for a bit...I was so angry. Even though I saw the monsters as people...I killed them anyway. I didn't care.

[dissimulative]

[ Oh.

It's not really the "i killed monsters that looked like people" part that gets him to be like that for a moment, but rather the "less confident he was, the stronger the monsters became". That seemed very well linked to how Sinclair viewed it. If he had no confidence to overcome them, then it might as well have been a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Mental influence, indeed. ]

... Yeah, that sort of thing happens when you lose your mind.

[ He's not going to chide Sinclair on killing humanoids. That's not a hypocritical hill Oria wants to die on nor does he care. ]

I guess Winter helped hold you back? Or...?

[insinning]

...no. Like that, no one could stop me. Not unless it was by force. He wanted me to leave the dungeon, but...I wouldn't listen.

[Sinclair knows himself well]

...then my sister appeared.

[dissimulative]

[ Oh........

Oria has no comments to make about that, so he stays quiet, silently urging Sinclair to continue, but pause whenever he needs to if he needs a break. ]

[insinning]

[ There's a strangled noise here, a sob]

Michel had defended me at first. But the monster was so strong and--she threw herself at it. Like she tried to protect us.

A-and...[ this is the hardest part ]

...I lost it. I didn't want Michel to get hurt. So I cut the monster down...but I cut her down with it. Even though I knew she wasn't real--

[dissimulative]

[ Oria cuts Sinclair off with a kiss. It's to remind him that he's here with him. That he'll be okay. He hugs him tightly. ]

You don't have to get into the details. If you don't want to, don't force yourself. But if you do... take it slow.

[insinning]

[ The kiss steadies him
and anchors him. He nods, his eyes still hot with tears but his breathing slows now, even ]

...okay. Okay.

[ He closes his eyes, focusing on the warmth of Oria wrapped around him]

I... couldn't really bring myself to move after that. And that's when she came. Kromer.

[dissimulative]

[ Without hesitation: ]

Please tell me you beat the shit out of her.

[ Sorry, Sinclair. Your boyfriend is just like this. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair laughs. He can't help it. It might be a little on the edge of hysterics as he clings to Oria. But he relaxes visibly]

I did. Don't worry about that.

[dissimulative]

[ Good, he was very much aiming for a little bit of that relaxation. His laugh doesn't sound that stable, but he'll take what he can get. ]

Good. That's what matters most.

[ He squeezes Sinclair in his hug briefly. ]

What happened after that?

[insinning]

I was able to beat her because of Winter, really. He reminded me of what was really important. [He exhales softly, calming down. He's steadier when he remembers] I heard my family tell me they loved me. And...everything vanished. The mansion, the bodies...it was just another meadow again.

[dissimulative]

[ He can feel Sinclair steadying and calming, and it makes Oria smile. ]

It sounded like a good ending.

[ Apart from his family probably dying again, but. Yeah. ]

[insinning]

Yeah. [His fingers curl against Oria's back] It was.

[He pauses a little, as he tries to place everything]

...it might be too easy for me to say it now, since there's nothing we can do until we return back to our real bodies but. I think I learned something from it.

[If he says it aloud, maybe he can make it come true]

...I wont lose myself for revenge. Or let her drag me down anymore. I'm done with that.

[dissimulative]

[ Ah...

He mentioned to Fai that Sinclair had come a long way, and to hear this for himself, he's... very, very-- ]

I'm so proud of you, Emil.

[ Oria pulls him in tight and buries his face into his shoulder. ]

I'm so glad...

[insinning]

[ Oh.

He had been aware, vaguely what his choices might mean for Oria. But to feel it like this...

He reaches up to stroke Oria's hair, holding him firmly]

... I'm sorry. I must have scared you a lot.

[dissimulative]

You didn't scare me. Stupid.

[ Leave it to Oria to tsun a little at the last moment. ]

... I was worried about you, but I knew that if that's what you really wanted for yourself, I can't and wouldn't be able to stop you. Because it's what you want. And there's no way I would take that away from you, a person that's already had so many things taken away already.

[insinning]

[Sinclair smiles, despite that. The tsun is cute...he wasn't expecting it, somehow]

Of course not.

[But he'll humor Oria on it. He's quiet for a moment, letting Oria's words wash over him. He can still taste the heat of his own hatred, his own anger. But he remembers as well, Michel's words in that dungeon. Oria's fierce belief in their arena fight. Hani's gentle acceptance, Swallow's incredulous questions that forced him to consider reality. All of those had carried meaning, equal and weighty]

...thank you. For being so patient. Understanding. [He exhales softly] You let me choose. And no one's really given me that choice before.

[And if it took several times, if he was dragged back to the beginning, he had made it in the end. Because he could see the paths branching out ahead of him and he knew which one he wanted]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria always had an obvious bias as to what he wanted Sinclair to do, but it wasn't his right to force him onto one track over the other. Sure, he provided assistance, like trying to hire a hit for him and Mithrun, but... well, he supposes that's neither here nor there. ]

You deserve to have make your own choice. It's your life, after all.

And I'll never... let anyone take that from you.

[insinning]

[ This is why Sinclair said no to that hit: It would be a long dark road of justifications for cruelty. Neither Kromer nor the Professor deserved mercy. Neither of them would get mercy. If nothing else, wrath should come at the hands of their victims directly. But Sinclair wouldn't break himself to bring either of them down. Not anymore. He had been broken too many times. ]

That's one of the reasons why I love you.

[ And he keeps falling, again and again. Isn't that ridiculous? He presses a kiss to the top of Oria's head. It feels freeing to say this]

I want that for you too. All of your decisions, chosen because you wanted it.

[ Good or bad, Sinclair would stand with Oria to the very end]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria always makes his own decisions when he can afford to. There are so many things that impacted his life that he didn't get to. He...

...

What... was it...?

Oria doesn't tense up, but he stays still for several seconds before burying his face into Sinclair's collar this time. Never mind the glasses. ]

[insinning]

[Ah. Sinclair blinks, petting Oria's hair still, cradling him close. There's nothing to tip Sinclair off that there's something wrong. But that stillness is different, when Oria normally has something quick to say.]

Oria...?

[dissimulative]

--Sorry. I... was trying to think of something. When you said that you wanted me to have the ability to choose for myself, my mind wandered a little...

[ He'll come back to this if it comes up or if I don't forget. ]

But with all that said, was that what you talked about with Mithrun today? About the revenge plan.

[insinning]

[Hm. That's concerning. But they'll focus on what they can now]

Kind of.

[ He lets out a quiet huff]

I think 'DV'...Lily did something to him. Did you notice how he was acting at the meeting?

[dissimulative]

Yeah, he looked like he just went through the roughest breakup of his life.

[ So, yeah. Unmotivated? That's what Oria thinks Sinclair is talking about. ]

I found it weird, but I didn't really have a place to ask about it when everyone else was talking about everything else. But he was only like that in the beginning. After some time, he was hounding people for info like his usual researcher self. Oh, and that faceoff against Koto, but I just think Mithrun got screwed over on his end of a business arrangement that he overlooked.

[ Oria's used to seeing the latter from others, unfortunately. ]