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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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[ 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... ]
no subject
[ "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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[ No, that's a lie. He feels like he could understand Yael. He had a certain look in his eyes when he fought. He's seen that on other people too. But Hien doesn't know how to comfort someone. He's always been the person who takes things away. But he tries to be comforting, so he gently takes Hector's hand with both of his gloved ones, in brown leather--the standard RPG kind. He's never worn gloves before when he was in his usual outfit that resembles a grim reaper. ]
Do you... want some time alone?
no subject
I—
[ But it's too late, because he breaks anyway. A laugh spills from his lips, dry and hollow. It doesn't reach his eyes. ]
I want you to tell me the truth. [ He grasps at straws and ghosts, ] You're kidding, right?
no subject
I wouldn't joke about that to someone. Even if you were to get a truth serum on me, I would say the same thing.
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He stares for a long time at Hien, eyes scanning his expression for...what, not even Hector isn't sure. ]
You're...kidding...
[ His voice is quiet, full of disbelief.
He steps back, averts his gaze. He feels empty, aimless. Yael is dead? Because of him?
...
He doesn't say anymore. ]
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... Take some time off. Call your friends. You'll need it.
[ Hien turns around so that he can leave, and he will if Hector doesn't stop him. ]
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That he's by himself barely registers. His eyes remained blankly fixed on the wall, and he sinks to the floor.
It happened again, and it's all his fault. ]