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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?
sometime after the meeting, mac anu probably
Hector eventually runs into him fighting a small group of invading monsters in Mac Anu, and he steps in beside him to help without a second thought. He brandishes his own scepter, calling down lightning bolts to any that happen to stray from the leaf storm, topping up Hien's SP when it strays too low so he can keep dealing damage.
Either way, the Harvest Clerics make quick work of the monsters, and Hector turns to Hien once silence returns to the city streets. ]
You shouldn't be fighting with a head injury, you know.
[ nag nag nag. ]
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He turns around and finally realizes that Hector is here. This man was too absorbed in fighting to notice him. But all the monsters are gone now, and... Oh. He's nagging. ]
... Isn't that reserved for people that you actually care about?
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[ People are complicated. Especially Hector. ]
C'mon. Let's get inside before more monsters come. [ He jerks his chin to a nearby building. An NPC home, probably. ] I need to see if I can help you with your head.
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[ He doesn't trust Hector, but he's not being actively hostile like before. He just seems cautious. ]
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[ You have not done everything, babygirl.
Looks like the lack of trust is mutual. Hector points to the door, but keeps his eyes on Hien. Go. ]
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[ Don't walk away!! Let him help you!! Hector clasps his hand firmly around Hien's arm and begins to drag him to the door. ]
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Despite being dragged, he doesn't... retaliate and merely grumbles. Once inside, he looks over at Hector. ]
I'll be fine. Seriously...
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I'll be the judge of that.
[ He probably will be fine. But Hector will insist on checking it out.
Without waiting for permission, he starts gingerly unwrapping the bandages from around Hien's head, careful not to exacerbate or move anything underneath. ]
How did this happen?
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[ It wouldn't be surprisingly that with his personality, Hien probably angered someone to the point they did that to him. Hien doesn't seem to care though. The bandages were actually wrapped well, and after Hector unravels it all, he'll see that the back of Hien's head looks... fine. The external damages must have healed up, but Hien lets out a heavy sigh as if slowly breathing out. Slowly breathing in and out was a supposed pain mitigation technique, after all. ]
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Jeez.
[ Whoever he pissed off isn't his business, but considering he was thinking something similar...he isn't surprised.
With his head mostly unwrapped, Hector gently begins to gently poke and prod around the exposed parts of his head, on the back, on the top, and around his forehead. ]
Face down, face up?
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... My external injuries are fine. I feel like my head will split open if I don't have the bandages tightly wrapped around my head.
[ As if he's trying to literally keep his head together. ]
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Yeah, I figured.
[ With nothing externally visible, that is. A cursory look doesn't show anything wrong, so... He starts wrapping Hien's head up again, matching the firmness and precision of whoever last did the wrap job. ]
You just shouldn't be fighting. Especially if your skull's cracked. I'm pretty sure the monsters will still be there once you've recovered.
[ Which could be weeks. And that they still might be in the game by then is a dreadful thought, but he won't say that out loud. ]
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[ Hien sounds absolutely sure by this as if he's experienced it enough times for him to be used to it. His head feels a little better after Hector wraps it back up though, and he'll count his blessings. ]
It's not like I'm using my head to fight. It's fine. This isn't the first time.
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Just try not to get yourself hurt again once it does heal.
[ Because Hector will absolutely be on his ass if he does. And not in the sexy way, sorry Hien :/ ]
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I've been taking care of myself just fine...
[ He has a constant headache, but what's new, really. ]
If that's all, I'll be going.
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[ A thought comes to him. He speaks up before Hien moves.
He takes a half step back and folds his arms over his chest. He tilts his head, more out of curiosity than anything. Something's been nagging him for the past few days. ]
Have you seen Yael around? I tried to send him a message a few days ago, but it bounced.
[ Which is odd, and...concerning. ]
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Hm.
He knows this won't go well, so he'll just get it out of the way. ]
He challenged me to a fight to the death and I won.
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What? ]
What?
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[ ... ]
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Yael? Lost? A fight to the death? Why would he do such a thing? Why would he think something like that is a good idea? ]
Wait, wait. Hold on. [ The laugh that escapes him is entirely out of disbelief. There is no joy behind it. ] Why would he do that?
[ He knows Yael has a temper, but. But why? Especially when he knows that if he dies here... ]
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[ "It's a shame that we can't ask," is something that Hien holds back on. He's stupid, but he's not that stupid. ]
But that's what happened. I'm sorry for your loss.
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[ No use in asking the same question twice, is there?
Hector feels his breath grow short. He bites the inside of his lip. What the fuck. What the fuck. ]
Did he—did he say anything to you? When did this happen?
[ Clearly, Hector's been away for much too long. ]
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But.
He really wants to see just how bad it can get— ]
It happened when patch 6.0 dropped. He came to me, demanding for answers on your whereabouts. When he wasn't satisfied, he pulled out his weapon in the dog park.
[ Hien will absolutely not allow any fighting in the sacred dog park. How dare he. ]
And the rest is history.
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And so he repeats, ]
He was asking for—
[ Me?
Hector can feel the blood drain from his face, he goes cold. His heart stops beating. For a moment, he feels as though he, too, has died.
I don't...blame you...
Yael was there when he was suspended. He scarcely remembers the look on his face when it happened, but he remembers they were arguing. Over how they felt for one another. Hector had undone the block just so that they could fight, as they always did, and...
Yael had been angry enough that he fought Hien to the death?
Because of him?
It hurts.
A piece of glass in his heart twists, and the pain rips through him. It all slots together, and old, old wounds tear open. Once again, a man he cared so deeply for has met his end because of him. ]
But—but why would he— I don't understand—
[ He stares at Hien, wide-eyed and grief-stricken, paler than he has ever been. He can't breathe. He can't move. He can't breathe, he can't breathe, ]
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