⬣//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]

[He opens his menu, holding up a finger to tell her to wait, before he instantly disappears, breaking their party connection in the process.

A second later, he returns, a little displaced in the food court but wandering back to the table with a huff and settling back into his seat. He is running out of fries. :T]

Like that.

[threatmewted]

[-!]

Whoa! What was that?!

[gluttoning]

A gift. Like a teleporter from those space shows with the synthesizer food.

I can go to his garden whenever I want.

[threatmewted]

Just his garden?

[Interesting...]

[gluttoning]

Yeah. We have places we can stay there, if we want.

Mine's always been a little too big. I think I wanted to have someone else with me. But Lily said no.

Something went wrong when someone invited a stranger in. So Lily won't allow it anymore.

[threatmewted]

[Eyebrows raising.]

You get houses? And who got invited in?

[gluttoning]

Yes.

Me. Fandaniel. Okoto. Uta.

And I was asked to bring Leviathan in myself.

[threatmewted]

Huh... And a stranger still got in, too?

[gluttoning]

I don't know how. I wasn't there. But Lily was cautious after that. I've asked a few times if others could talk to him, but he's always said no.

[threatmewted]

And no idea who managed to get in, huh.

[Weird... she'll have to snoop around.]

[gluttoning]

It wasn't my business to ask.

I was worried. But Lily can't be hurt. Or, I don't think he hurts the same way. I've seen it myself.

[threatmewted]

[Headtilt.]

What do you mean? Like he's got an invincibility status, or...?

[gluttoning]

No, definitely not that...

He bleeds. But he doesn't leave scars behind. And he treats some pain like a gift.

[threatmewted]

[Barrett how the fuck did that not ping you as incredibly creepy.]

...He likes pain?

[gluttoning]

[Misteaks makes mistakes what can we say]

No. I don't know if he likes it or not.

I think what he likes... probably learning? Good and bad things about people. It took me a long time to realize it.

[threatmewted]

And learning about pain... was a good thing. For him.

[Buddy.]

Don't most kids realize pain's bad pretty much immediately?

[gluttoning]

I mean, human kids do. But he's a part of Fragment.

How do you really explain pain to something or somebody that doesn't know what it is?

[threatmewted]

Normally, a kid's body would know that pain's bad because it's a warning.

Maybe his code doesn't actually recognize pain as a bad thing? Either that, or he doesn't actually have to pay attention to it 'cause damage to his body isn't the same as damage to a flesh and blood one.

[gluttoning]

Mn... maybe the second one.

I still don't like that people want to hurt him. [And now his fries are empty and he just looks miffed. Tch.] I punched the last guy that tried.

[threatmewted]

As in Vogel, Tabibito, or someone else?

[gluttoning]

No. Fandaniel.

[threatmewted]

...

He seriously tried to punch Lily?

[gluttoning]

[He shakes his head.]

No. It was his arms, like someone had grabbed him and dug their nails in really deep. I only saw the aftermath.

[He starts picking at the cardboard of the empty fry sleeve. God, he still wants to keep snacking...]

[threatmewted]

Do you know if he had some kind of reason for it?

[gluttoning]

I don't remember. I know I confronted him. I punched him. Then we talked. But after that...

[Hm. He frowns, shaking his head.]

I don't think he'd try it again.