⬣//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?

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Comments

[justonezero]

...

Can I try giving you a name again?

[selfconcept]

... Sure.

[ Make your case, Nanashi. ]

[justonezero]

[He spends a long time thinking it over. But after a moment:]

...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.

[selfconcept]

... I'm not smart, nor am I social.

[ 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...

[justonezero]

Eh, does it?

[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.

[selfconcept]

[ Nanashi's words ring inside Hien's head like an echo shouted over the cliffs of a mountain. Someone wants to be friends with him? Really? But then again, he thinks back on the attempts that other people made as well. He pushed them away at first, but he's slowly... getting around to the idea of it. ]

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...

[justonezero]

[-!]

I'll try. But, um, does that mean... "Hien" counts as a name for you too, now?

[selfconcept]

... I guess so.

[ 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.

[justonezero]

What do you mean by eventually lose...? And, why aren't you allowed to have a real name?

[selfconcept]

I got cursed by someone.

[ That's all he'll say about it for now, but Nanashi will probably find out who it is eventually some nebulous time after the thread. His blank slate curse... ]

And the government is against me, unfortunately.

[justonezero]

Cursed...? You mean in real life, or...?

[?????]

Is the government against you because of your history?

[selfconcept]

No, I was cursed by Lily. I'll eventually become a blank slate, void of any memories nor personality.

[ DV, etc. ]

As I said, I'm sure people would like that better. And sure, something about my history gave them a reason.

[justonezero]

...!

...I don't think I'd like that.

[selfconcept]

... Mm.

[ Hien sighs, looking down at the ground. ]

I don't like it either. I might be trash, a mistake, or just a loser but at least it's me. My identity is all I have.

[justonezero]

...Can you tell me more about yourself?

Even if you can't remember... I want to try remembering some of it for you.

[selfconcept]

Give me a place to start... if you're that interested in hearing it.

[justonezero]

Is the beginning okay?

What are some of the first things you remember?

[selfconcept]

[ The first things... Hien has to think about it for a moment, because his memories are full of holes. ]

I remember... a small box. I think it was a ring box.

[ He frowns a little, trying his best to recall it. ]

But instead of a ring, there were small origami boats inside. Not sure if I remember the exact number. Maybe seven? I have a feeling that it was important to me, but I don't remember who gave it to me. But when I think about it, it's the feeling of leaving dreams and aspirations behind.

[justonezero]

Do you remember how old you were?

[selfconcept]

... Early teens, maybe? It's not clear to me anymore.

[justonezero]

I see... Do you remember what happened after that?

[selfconcept]

Mm. I was framed for killing a child as part of a political smear campaign.

[ Yeah!! ]

I think I was sixteen years old.

[justonezero]

Was your family involved in politics?

[selfconcept]

My mother tried being the mayor. We lost a lot of things as a result.

[ Particularly Hien, but he's forgotten most of those things at this point of time. ]

After that, I was homeless for a long time. Never finished school and all.

[justonezero]

That's awful...