⬣//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

[gluttoning]

Nothing like that.

Hs has a special place we can visit him. A garden. That's where I've tried it before.

[threatmewted]

A garden, huh? Like one of those hidden areas?

[gluttoning]

Sort of. I don't think anyone is supposed to go there normally.

[Hello Chaos Gate. He gets to pulling up the keywords for the mall.]

He won't let anyone else in anymore. So I can't take anyone with me.

[threatmewted]

Makes sense, I guess. So do all his friends just get to hang out there or something?

[She'll party up with him so they both warp at the same time.]

[gluttoning]

[Oh. Party request. >Accept. He always forgets about those.]

It's mostly just him. He spends most of his time alone. It's why I try to visit him.

[threatmewted]

Is that where he talks to people from, too? Just... sitting alone, in that garden?

[gluttoning]

I think so. I don't think he can leave.

[Gate up. Let's go mall hopping, girly.]

I wish he could. He really likes Fragment.

[threatmewted]

Why? What does he like so much about it?

[gluttoning]

...Because it's his home.

Even with everything he hates about CCCorp, he doesn't want anything bad to happen to Fragment.

[threatmewted]

Just because it's your home, doesn't mean you have to love it. Ask, like, a bunch of people here.

Does he like the people?

[gluttoning]

I know. But he still does.

[He'll lead the way through the portal, rolling his shoulders with a quiet buzz from the wings on his back.]

As for people... we were the reason he emerged. He said it was because he heard us calling for him, and he wanted to answer us. We have the ability to interact with the world in different ways than he ever could. So... I think he might feel a little complicated.

He mostly focuses on his father. But he's said since I've known him that he didn't want any human in Fragment to suffer because of the choices made by his father or CCCorp, or anything that they chose to do.

[threatmewted]

[In they go!]

Huh... I'm curious what he means by us calling him. I don't think anyone was doing anything like that on purpose, were they?

[gluttoning]

I don't know. But when I asked him what he remembered from before we met, he said it was fuzzy. He just remembered darkness, and voices, and when he heard us that was when he tried to reach out.

[Off in the direction of the food court first, as usual.]

[threatmewted]

[Naturally. She follows; now is not the time to harass him on his food intake.]

Hmm...

What about you? What do you think about... well, everything going on?

[gluttoning]

[Something dark passes over his eyes as he thinks.]

Depends what you mean, I guess.

[threatmewted]

If you need somewhere to start, then just tell me how you're feeling right now. Hanging out and getting food.

[gluttoning]

Mn...

It's good. I like being with you. [Time to order the largest order of fried potatoes he can manage.]

I feel like there's something else I need to be doing, though. It's irritating me.

[threatmewted]

[Well, at least there's that.]

Something else? Like fighting, or...?

[gluttoning]

Fighting only helps sometimes. [He's already getting visibly irritated, for how roughly he takes the fries away from the counter, trying to take in a breath, and then another.]

I don't know. I can't place it.

It feels kind of like a purpose.

[threatmewted]

[What the... what's setting him off?]

...Are you okay?

[gluttoning]

I'm fine. [Clipped.




Okay, deep breath.]

Sorry. I feel like... how I felt at the meeting is just not getting any better. I feel it more now. At a lot of things.

Even if I know I shouldn't.

[threatmewted]

Like... annoyed? Angry?

[Bud. She is so worried about you.]

[gluttoning]

Angry.

[A handful of fries is picked up and shoved into his mouth.]

Everything I think about. I hate it.

But I feel like it must be okay to hate it. Like... it makes sense. It'll make sense.

[threatmewted]

...Hey...

[Reaching out, to gently touch his shoulder if he lets her.]

Barrett... Are you really okay?

[gluttoning]

I said I'm fine.

[Sharper than before. Her touch is shrugged off harshly.]

I'm supposed to tell you things, anyway. Or... trying to.