⬣//JUST AS A SEED TAKES ROOT.

[cccorp]

>>Secrets // >>Guilds // >>Grunties // >>Carnival // >>Zelkova Corner

⬣//THIS WORLD IS MORE THAN 0S AND 1S.

A team of four courageous adventurers managed to unearth a secret Area unique from the others: the Hulle Granz Cathedral. Unlike other Areas, this one is lacking all the usual monsters, dungeons, and treasure. What might the purpose of this Area be, then...?

Well, if you’re feeling penitent or perhaps wish to hold a sermon of your own, head to Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground and knock yourself out. What? Too soon?

Anyway, be not afraid! The cathedral is perfectly safe. Following Ganymede’s little incident in the cathedral, a timely email has been sent out to beta testers regarding health and safety that reads as follows:

To our beta team,

Please exercise caution when playing video games for extended periods of time. Take breaks every thirty minutes and do not sit in the same position for more than two hours at a time. Remember to stay hydrated and play in a well-lit environment.

Failing to take care of your health while gaming can result in a litany of health complications, including but not limited to eye strain, muscle fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and involuntary loss of consciousness and motor functions.

We take the health and safety of our beta testers very seriously. If you have any concerns, please contact us at cccorp.ccmail.com.

Thank you for your continued efforts,
CyberConnect Corporation of Japan.

⬣//ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL.

Guilds have been patched into the current version of Fragment and are now available for players to create their own and join others. While some guilds have opted to go the private route, others are in need of players to fill their ranks!

The admins have kindly supplied those recruiting for their shiny new guilds with a number of goodies to aid in their player gathering efforts:

⬣ A bundle of personalized flyers proudly displaying their guild logo and a description of the guild’s @ home and available amenities.

⬣ Party poppers and streamers. Nothing screams “join my guild!” like a face full of glitter, confetti, and colorful strips of ribbon.

⬣ A megaphone that lets your voice echo far and wide, even across Root Towns and Areas, but with great potential for abuse comes restrictions! The megaphone can only be used five times before it breaks. Use it wisely!

⬣ A unique recipe for a cocktail, latte, tea, or other type of beverage that can be blended up and served in little sample cups to court potential members. These drinks are unique to their guilds and, when consumed, have a special effect that reflects the leader of that guild. Is your guild leader a pretty cheerful guy? Drinking their special brew will make you feel happy too!

Whatever effect your guild’s drink has is up to the leader’s discretion, but if you so desire, drop a comment under the questions top level and we’ll brew one up for you.

Additionally, you may host a guild open house and invite potential guildies into your @ home to let them take a look around! Guild @ homes are typically locked to guild members & their guests only, so use this as your opportunity to put your best foot forward and impress the world with everything your guild has to offer.

⬣//FATHER, I HUNGER…

Also arriving with the newest update are mountable Grunties! Aren’t they cute? ...Well, they’re someone’s definition of cute.

While the ability to ride around town and in Areas at 2x speed is certainly alluring, you can’t just walk up to the Grunty Ranch located in each Root Town and take one out for a stroll. If you want a mount of your very own, you’ve got to commit! Becoming a proud Grunty owner means you must first become a proud Grunty parent, and to do that, you’ll need to raise your Grunty from infancy into adulthood.

Just what kind of adult might your Grunty become? That depends on how you raise them and what you feed them. Those strange "foods" popping up all over Areas might not taste good to you, but they sure do to Grunties!

For more information on how to acquire a baby Grunty of your very own and raise it into a proper — or not so proper — member of Grunty society, head on over to the Grunty Ranch.

⬣//PROPER CARNIVAL WEATHER.

Mac Anu, the City of Twilight known for its gentle ocean breezes, has been uncharacteristically warm lately. Very, very warm. Its usual orange skies have been swapped out for vivid blues, the sun dwelling high in the sky and threatening to burn everything in its wake.

It won’t take much wandering to feel the effects of heat exhaustion sink in, and even after you log out for the day, those symptoms seem to linger. Do Hien and Zelkova know what the hell is going on? Of course not. Unusual occurrences are slowly becoming the norm in Fragment, it seems, but the point of a beta test is to work out any kinks. Report it and move on.

Lumina Cloth is similarly affected by unusual weather phenomena, but it’s much more pleasant and hospitable than poor Mac Anu. The sun hangs just above the horizon, bathing the strip in early evening light. It’s much cooler here too, and what’s more, it appears that a carnival has rolled into town. What fun!

All the usual carnival fare is here: greasy fried foods, drinks served in foot long glasses, and a litany of carnival games that are totally not rigged. Entry is free and so are the prizes, but some of them take a bit of legwork to win.

⬣ Successfully PK another player to win the carnival exclusive Thursday The 12th™ skin. PK’d players will receive an appropriately spooky ghost skin of their own!

⬣ Step on up to the dunk tank and get dunked on to win a sexy swimsuit skin! Both the dunkers and the dunkees will win this skin, but only those who successfully dunk the player in the tank will be rewarded with the chance to show off some skin. The appearance this skin takes is dependent on the player wearing it, so have fun and get creative with it!

⬣ Take a trip through the hall of mirrors with a friend and do some reflecting! Stare too long into the mirrors and you might recall a memory that doesn’t belong to you, but to the person venturing through the hall of mirrors with you. Did that really happen? Surely it’s all in your head. Memories available for memshare are limited to the ones listed on your application.

Additional rewards include giant plush monsters that can be used to decorate guild @ homes and private rooms (limit one per player!) and a pet goldfish that, unfortunately, will die a hero’s tragic death within a week. Womp womp.

⬣//ZELKOVA’S META ROUNDUP.

We’ve had a busy week! It seems like there was a glitch that allowed players to equip other players as weapons, which resulted in a ten player chain, wielded by none other than our hardworking head administrator, Hien! I’ll have a talk with him about not doing this kind of thing in the future, I promise!

That wasn’t all, though. An unknown entity reached out to the players participating in the ten-player chain and issued them a special title: Good Friends Stick Together. Fragment’s not supposed to have titles. Well, at least not in the beta. But you can go ahead and add it to your name if you want to anyway, and it shouldn’t cause any problems! We still can’t pinpoint who sent those messages and how they overrode the permissions to create those titles in the first place, but... Hmm. I don’t want to start any rumors, so I’ll keep looking into it.

There are those armor sets too, which I didn’t know had been handed out to those of you that reached level 25. Oria brought it to our attention, thankfully! There’s not a whole lot we can do about it now, but we know that some of them are pretty invasive. But knowing is half the battle, right?

Our friend Ganymede suffered an accident recently that had him lying unconscious in the hospital for about a day. He seems to be feeling better now, thankfully. Ḩ̵̲̼͆̃͐̆ò̸̧̰͕̥̈́͒̕͜p̷̫͙̯͇̾̄͜ę̸̹̒f̷̠̭͉̱̅͘ǘ̴͎̙̥̭̈́̈́l̵͇̙͍̳̜̇̓̒l̷̬̲̀̆̈̅̂ͅỳ̵̧̻̖ ̷̠̫̭̰̦̋͗h̴̰͕̑͗e̸̦̼͇̾͘ ̴̡̢̝̺̳̊̎̎̔p̴̳̠̼̜͔̂̅̐à̵͕̹̟ͅỹ̴̡̛͝s̶͉̕ ̴̢͕̬̑̆̕͝b̸̹̲͗͒̊͑͠ē̶̛͖͠ṯ̸̻̺́͒͐t̶̻͕͎̑ĕ̶̖̀͗͛͋r̷͙̗̙̲͙̓̚͝ ̷̻̠͉̈́̚a̷̡̙̳̽́̀̋̔ẗ̴̢̨̛̬̺t̴͖̳͝ē̷͇̆͆̍̚ͅn̵̪̜͉͊̉̔̄͐t̵͕̼͈̓͋̈́̕î̷̬o̸͇̐͋͑͌n̶̟̫̟̽̑͒͐͘ ̷̜̈́̈̀̂̎t̶͙̂͛ô̸̠̜ ̶̫͎̎h̶͖̳͛i̸̗͖̖̅̂͆̄͛s̸͔̈́̇̍ ̸̩̗̻̕s̵̬̼̳̲̞͝ù̸̞̺̣͙̾͒͛ŗ̴̻̟̻̭̂̈́r̶̡͈̲̣̣͋̊͗̕o̶̥̝̮̓ų̴̻̯̬̊̑̑͌̉ͅn̶̢̙̦͔͖̈̒͝d̷̰̼̤̥̃̿͒̌̎i̸̯͑̾͊̑͝n̵̦͐g̸̪̾͝͝s̷̛̝͙̣̹̍͛͝ ̸͔̲̠̩͗̓̀͘a̷̛̼̓̈́͊ṅ̵̥͆̎ḑ̶̨̯̱͍̇ ̷̛̗̮̀̆ḧ̴̼̪́͗͝i̵͓̬̤͂͐͒s̶̮̎̿̃ ̴̛͔̋͗̽h̷̝͑ͅē̴̱ȃ̵̝͎ͅļ̷͍̀͐͊̊̽ẗ̸̼̺̟̥̼́̄͛h̶̥̹̬̮̽̅ ̷̟̖̮͛́̿t̸̢̤̤̂͒͋̍o̶̼̟̓ ̵̥̳͙̖̆̈́ả̶̛̳̱͙̖̩̿̽͘v̴͈͉͖͊͘ỏ̶̤͚̅͑͝i̴̱͈̩̳̳̿̇̕͠ḏ̵͙̮͗͆ ̶̯̭̝̹̯͊s̸͍̰͔̔̀͋͋̐u̷̟̠͑̔̏̚c̵̨͖͉͇̀͆͘ͅh̴̨̓͌̄̈ ̶̧̱̻̼̏̃̃i̷̱͉͈̿̎̋͒͜͝n̴̢͓͍̂͝͠c̷̢̢̛̹͚̑̓̅ͅi̶͕̟̻̘̫̾͌d̶͉͉̏̇e̵͉̱̩̯̤͐̎̉̾n̸̡̠̈͜ţ̴̇͑̈́͘s̵̩̼͔̙̙̉͘ ̵̮̯̞̮̾̈́͋̔̈h̵̡̗͉͉͈̉̐̅̚ȁ̵͖͚̖̾p̸̰̬͖̩̀̈́̆̓p̶̢̛̼̈́͆̒͘ͅe̷̟̘̩̲̻̾̊n̵̨̩̜̟͆͘i̵̙͉̺̮͠ͅṋ̷̆ġ̶͙͚ ̴̩̋à̷̄̑̂͝ͅǧ̵͖̜͍͕̒̑͒a̷̧̛̞͐̃̈́͘i̷̯͉̬̯̽̍n̷̘̝͓̽̅̕!̵̩͑

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[tablescraps]

( plotting post is here hmu if you wanna do a thing 🙏 )

closed

[tablescraps]

( This fine day in Fragment, it's especially hot. Mithrun is aware of this, sure, but he's had things to do, and he hasn't felt the urge to mind the heat. He'd been out and about in Mac Anu most of the day, and stepping into Lumina Cloth, it's a little less hot, but he's just about hit his limit by the time he gets here.

By the time you find him, he's just laying there passed out on the steps of the Chaos Gate plaza, clearly overheated. At least he hasn't been PK'd yet. )

[tylorific]

[ Well, Tylor isn't exactly surprised to find Mithrun passed out as he made his way to the Chaos Gate. It was bound to happen someday. He squats, reaching out to brush fair hair back and feel with the back of his palm how feverish his skin is. Even Tylor is sweating in the heat today, opting for his sleeveless pirate skin over the heavier black armor hidden beneath. Leaving Mac Anu only did so much, and he was impatient. His flower crown droops, and his bangs stick slightly to his forehead.

What's one extra person on his way to chill in his new favorite nap area? So, he scoops Mithrun up easily enough into his arms like a married couple crossing the threshold. Here, windswept plains greet them with cooler temperatures, a gentle breeze, and a blue sky blotted by puffs of clouds. Whether Mithrun is awake by now or not, Tylor lays him onto the cushion of grass to fan at his friend's face. But that's pretty tiring and he's still pretty hot himself, so whatever Mithrun's got on is getting loosened and opened up so more of his skin can appreciate the breeze.

Once that's settled, Tylor flops back beside him, hands lacing behind his head and gaze wandering the sky about them as he hums softly. It's probably a Ghibli tune. ]

[tablescraps]

( Mithrun seemed to stir, slightly, at the sensation of movement and much-cooler touch (cooler, at least, than he was then), but the lack of urgency seems to keep him dozing, even if not peacefully.

He doesn't, for a time, stir again, even in the idyll of these breeze-touched plains. Eventually, though, the calm wind against his cheeks and sunk into his body is enough, and, feeling cooler but still disoriented, he blearily opens his eyes. First, he's met by vague blue skies; and then, when he has a little more sense about him, he's met by the sound of humming in a voice vaguely familiar.

If there's one thing that matters about his body, it's that he'd quite thin, and that he's quite scarred - some visible through his other outfit skins - with nicks and cuts and other signs of residual injury apparent across his pale skin. )

... Where...?

( Honestly, if this is heaven, he doesn't deserve to be here. It's nice enough to be. )

[tylorific]

[ Somewhere between the beginning of his tune and Mithrun's stirring, Tylor's own shirt was tugged off and crumpled under his head. Without missing a beat, Tylor glances over at Mithrun when he makes a sound. There's a pause, where he keeps humming while watching to be certain Mithrun is really back online. The humming trails off as he opens his mouth-- ]

Welcome to paradise!

[ He greets him with a smile and a joke (since they are in Dawning Destiny's Paradise), but his words are slow and almost as warm as his brow. His tired voice still manages energy somehow. For once, he isn't looking for a nap or sleep; it's just the temporary yet lingering exhaustion after the relief of coming inside on a hot day. ]

How do you feel?

closed

[tablescraps]

( Hopefully better hydrated by now, he pauses as they pass by the funky little building labeled "hall of mirrors," gazing at it. )

... I don't see how that can be an attraction.

[tylorific]

[ This isn't the first new thing Tylor has introduced to Mithrun today, but he's no less excited about sharing now than he was in the beginning-- ]

Because it's funny to look at! All the mirrors are different-- You've really got to see it for yourself though.

[ He says it, casually reaching for Mithrun's hand as he turns away; a loose hold easily broken, even when Tylor tries to lace their fingers on the way inside. ]

[tablescraps]

( Mithrun lets him, as he did before, no impulse to pull away either when Tylor takes it, nor when their fingers interlock. )

Sure. ( He can see why Tylor would be amused by something like that. ) All the attractions here seem equally simple.

( Simple, cheap forms of entertainment... So this is how the poor live... )

[tylorific]

Well, the simpler the fun, the easier it is to get to know people while enjoying it. Don't you think?

[ Tylor asks as they cross the first mirror, the deceptively smooth looking surface distorting their bodies to ridiculous proportions. Their height difference makes it all the more comical when Tylor stands up straighter. The mirror reflects his head shrinking, chest expanding, with the movement. Beyond these first mirrors, it becomes hard to tell where the path goes with the seemingly endless field of reflections laid out before them.

His laughter makes the reflection of his chest wobble. ]

See?

closed

[tablescraps]

( Not particularly seeking AC (though he really should be), Mithrun steps into the slightly-cooler hall of mirrors - might've come with Oria after hitting heat stroke, might've wandered in here alone - somewhat perplexed as to how this might be, well, an attraction. it's just mirrors bro...

Stepping inside, he sees the first set of regular, tri-panel mirrors set up there to greet him, and he stares at them. He sees himself from three angles, and he isn't sure if this is intended to be delightful or not. )

... Is staring at yourself that interesting?

[dissimulative]

Not like that. They're supposed to be funny! Let's head a little deeper in.

[ So he pulls Mithrun by the hand deeper into the hall of mirrors. This set of mirrors seems to deform your body into looking skinny and tall. For Mithrun, maybe he might as well be a real angelhair noodle pasta at this point. ]

It's funny because of this!

[tablescraps]

( Oh. He lets Oria pull him in, and doesn't necessarily pull his hand away when they arrive. He just stares at his noodley, CLAMP-esque self. )

... I see.

( Said like he's logging this information rather than like, indulging in any particular dose of serotonin. He studies their reflections for a few moments, like trying to analyze the humor of it. )

Like how babies smile when they see something unexpected.

( An attempt has been made, at least. )

[dissimulative]

[ He shoots a Look at Mithrun, because Oria is wondering if Mithrun is taking a jab at the "Big Whiny Baby" title above his head that he can't remove. ]

Have you never laughed, Mithrun.. c'mon. Maybe if you look closer, you can feel how funny it can get.

[ Oria knows this isn't true, but they're here for fun! Or, at least Oria is. ]

closed

[tablescraps]

( It's a beautiful day in Lumina Cloth, and Mithrun is passed out on the steps to the Chaos Gate in the plaza. Heat stroke probably won't kill him in this game, so it's a better use of his time to just keep doing what he intends to do until he passes out - at least, that's how the logic shakes out to Mithrun.

And now he's reaping the consequences. He looks exceptionally overheated. )

Re: closed

[insinning]

[It's hot. Way too hot to do anything, but logging off doesn't help. So Sinclair keeps playing, even though he really shouldn't. Which is how he stumbles across Mithrun, potentially in the nick of time]

Mithrun?! Are you okay?

[He races over, first aid training his company drilled into him running through his head. He pulls off his gloves, unequipping them for the moment as he touches Mithrun's forehead]

[tablescraps]

( His body temperature is alarmingly hot... With the sensation of comparatively much cooler skin against his, he seems to vaguely stir, though his pounding head's killing him.

Mumbling: )

... Sin... clair...?

closed

[tablescraps]

( Mithrun's over by the ring toss, now that he's practiced a little more with it. It's a relatively solo game - a big, broad booth with a counter along all four sides, and a big block of pegs to toss a ring over at the very centre of the whole thing.

He's amassed a small pile of inconsequential prizes, but he seems to be practicing his shot for the best prize - the pegs hardest to get at, even for people with normal vision. For Mithrun, this is even more of a challenge, as he's short one eye and any depth perception. Still, he's been making progress. )

[worldbent]

[That sure is a pile of prizes....]

[The colorful mound is what attracts Matoba over before he sees Mithrun's familiar head, standing to watch quietly from a little ways back as he throws. Ah, the ol' depth perception, huh... It's been getting Matoba all day. Why are all of these games throw-based!?]

[He waits for a gap in the throws to speak up.]

Always a little too far to the left, hm?

[tablescraps]

( Mithrun's gaze flicks to Matoba near immediate once he hears his voice.

Then, his gaze flicks back. He elects for a number of more plays, continuing on. )

It's inconvenient.

( There a ring goes... Landing on a peg, but not precisely where he intended. The real inconvenience is how it affects him in combat. Having a stupid big sword offsets the need for aiming about half the time - but sometimes, aim is unavoidably necessary. )

Do you enjoy carnivals?

( Said as such, but sounding a little more like Are you at this carnival for business? )

closed

[tablescraps]

( Mithrun has been watching the dunk tank shenanigans happening for the past hot minute, feeling like he at least understands the function of it even if he doesn't understand the purpose. He'd been debating going up and just volunteering and waiting until someone knocks him out, when he sees a familiar figure in the crowd.

The weird lingering thing from the whole confession is... a weird lingering thing. But Mithrun is good at not understanding and not dwelling on feelings.

Addressing him: )

... Yael.

( Points at the dunk tank. )

Do you want the skin?

[weaseled]

[Yael peeled away from his Totally Not Date to do a little milling about on his own, but it doesn't take him long to stumble across a familiar face. Staring down at Mithrun, he looks no worse for wear given his usual... "adventures," but perhaps Yael shouldn't have expected anything less. Like a weed growing out of a crack in the sidewalk, Mithrun won't cede even after getting trampled on a dozen times over.]

Eh?

[Yael squints at the dunk tank, disinterest tugging on the corners of his lips.]

You think I'm a "sexy swimsuit" kind of guy? And you...

[...Yael brings a hand to his chin, looking Mithrun over.]

Yeah. Maybe you'd pull it off.

[tablescraps]

( ?? )

... You think a "sexy swimsuit" would suit me?

( When Mithrun sees himself he sees himself as a piece of cellophane. No angst, his self-perception is just broken.

He looks at Yael. His perception of others is also... broken, so he has to really study the contours here through whatever he's got on, even if it's not form-fitting. )

... You'd look fine in it. ( This is the best he can do with imagination alone. ) Besides, it's important to test all the skins in the game.

closed ;

[tylorific]

[ It's hazy now, late as Tylor lingers at the glhf open house. Cozy, modern Japanese styling lends itself well to lazy comfort, warmly lit and stylish. Multiple rooms, mostly empty, but here Tylor is out in the open after wandering away from Hani. Or was that yesterday? It's hard to tell how long he's been here, how long he's stayed online getting drunk at one guild home after another.

He'd clearly wandered here at some point, only to wind up relaxing with half of him laid out on the walkway like it's a totally normal thing to do. Wearing his maid skin, with a lopsided headband and haphazardly undone buttons, says a lot about the night he's having. Has it only been one night? Tylor doesn't bother keeping track anyway. The glasses scattered beside him and the pillow cradled in his hands say even more. There's even an open room right across from the steps that he's half sprawled out on. He hadn't made it that far, clearly.

No matter how quiet, Tylor stirs when Morgan comes wandering by, looking up at him from the ground with a blink. It's like watching life reanimate Tylor in real time, before Morgan's very eyes. A smile spreads. Predictably, his words are a little slurred and he doesn't bother with a username-- ]

Morgan! What're you doing here? Are you joining this guild too?

[tablescraps]

( Mithrun is in his swimsuit skin (with the shorts coverup) still, and, while he didn't expect to see Tylor strewn out drunk in front of him, but he doesn't really mind, either. )

... I don't know. Maybe. Are you hot?

( Or maybe Tylor undoes his buttons for fun, what does he know... Anyway, if Hani offers, he'll say yes, so who knows. He crouches down, not seeming to mind his real name seeing use still. )

... Do you want me to get you into that room?

[tylorific]

Now that you mention it, yeah. It is pretty hot isn't it?

[ Tylor heaves himself up as he says it, wordlessly reaching for Morgan once he crouches near him. As if it's the most natural thing in the world to toss his arms around the shorter man's neck, he accidentally tries to pull Morgan down to Tylor's level. Just so he can rest his head on Morgan's shoulder for a moment. A deep breath, he'll mumble happily wherever he ends up. ]

Oh? Does the room look comfier?

[ Most things are comfier than the floor, especially without his now abandoned pillow. But Tylor is drunk and his eyes are closed. ]