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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?
no subject
[ She hopes she doesn't come off as too casual. She briefly considered addressing Miharu by last name, but this is how Haru refers to her friends. ]
Of course, I can keep calling you Scitalis here if you prefer.
no subject
No, [she says a little too quickly.] ... I mean to say, Miharu is just fine. Scitalis was random... I just wanted a name connected with snakes.
[Though she doesn't explain why right away.]
I don't want to be remembered like that.
no subject
[ She's always thought Scitalis sounded neat, though. Cool and mysterious, suited to Miharu. ]
Me neither. I would want to be remembered as myself. Though I want to believe that we'll all live and escape from here.
[ She doesn't want there to be any more deaths! ]
no subject
[After a moment's pause, she figures this much, at least, she's ready to say.]
My father's surname is written using the character for "snake." I've always felt some attachment between in and my self, so I naturally sought out what I could. [There's still some part of her heart that feels that name is a part of her.]
Although I wonder how different the myself everyone's met here is.
i meant to come back to this earlier!
[ It seems the two of them have a good relationship. She's glad. Haru tilts her head, curious about Miharu's next words. ]
Do you mean you show a different side of yourself online?
dude everything happened so much
Something like that. When it comes to getting to know other people, it's never been something I have a lot of aptitude for. [She's been a pariah often enough - but it's never burrowed all that deeply under her skin.] There are fewer goodbyes that way, besides.
I'm not really sure, but I don't think I intended to make friends here, either.
no subject
Well, I'm glad we met through the game and I hope we won't be saying goodbye anytime soon. [ Because the way Miharu talks about it sounds like she's used to it happening, sadly. ] If anything, I'd like to know more about you, Miharu-chan.
no subject
I'd like that, too. Especially now that we're trying to hold onto what we have. [When tomorrow, something else could be gone.
Sharing these things doesn't feel like a waste of their possibly limited time.]
no subject
Let me pour you more coffee. I'd like to hear about your life, what you enjoy doing, anything you feel like sharing.
[ Get ready for a nice, long talk. Even if they weren't on the verge of losing their memories, the opportunity to know Miharu could never be a waste of time to Haru. ]