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⬣//JUST AS A SEED TAKES ROOT.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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[He looks over at Hector, raising an eyebrow. Does he have a problem with his herd? They're wonderful.]
It seems there's no limit on how many we can tame.
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But you can't ride them all at the same time.
[ How are u gonna pick, bro?
He takes a few steps towards Owen and his herd and leans against the fence, taking a good look at all of them. ]
They really like you.
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[Says the man who is currently feeding and petting every grunty that comes up to him, looking more excited then he has any other time Hector’s seen him in the game.]
But I’m not concerned with their abilities as mounts being wasted.
[He just likes them…]
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They're cute. I don't blame you.
[ He'd have picked up a couple of more had he known it was an option, but...he's super attached to this one now. ]
Where are you going to keep them, though? Would you have them follow you around everywhere?
[ Owen and his grunty army... ]
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…Perhaps in one of the guilds I’m in. They’d fit right in with the other, smaller grunties.
[And maybe they will keep people from sinning in Fine Wine… Maybe they can still salvage those couches.]
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[ He finds the imagined sight amusing. Just walking in and suddenly, grunty babies everywhere...
Cute, though. ]
What guilds have you joined so far? [ Enjoying the small talk? ] Maybe we share one.
[ There are only like. Five. ]
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[Though it was probably not intended for this sort of storage.
Everyone will just have to deal.]
I'm in Fine Wine.
[He can't tell Hector he's in the trolling and PKing guild???]
Though I think the name is a bit cringy.
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[ That catches Hector's attention. He gets up from his spot by the fence and takes a couple of steps closer, delighted little look on his face. ]
So am I. [ He chuckles. ] Maybe I'll see you around more, then.
And you— [ He turns his attention to the grunty in his arms. ] —are going to have so many playmates.
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I imagine you'll see me plenty - that place has better ambiance then almost anywhere else in the game.
[Which isn't exactly, like, a high bar when there are dungeons made of flesh walls out there in Fragment.]
Next time you see me there, I'll get you a drink.
[Otherwise what's the point of the guild!
But the way he treats the grunty like it's his child gets a - genuine! - smile out of Owen, even as he shakes his head and goes back to handing out treats to his flock.]
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He gives a little laugh at that. Owen's so nice. ]
I'd appreciate that.
[ He flashes a little smile, whether Owen's looking or not, before he turns to leave. ]
See you around.
[ And around, in fact, happens to be in the hall of mirrors, not long afterwards... ]
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He might need better friends. He might also need to stop being so paranoid.
Still, when he sees Hector outside the Hall of Mirrors, all he does is smile pleasantly and wave instead of run away.]
I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon.
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But for now, he's just pleasantly surprised to see Owen again. Hector smiles and waves back, and he's practically drenched in sweat. It's fucking hot. ][ He gestures to the building. ]
You heading in?
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He nods, though.]
It seems like a nice escape from the sun.
[He's so pale, he can't handle this at all.]
Why, do you want to join me?
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[ That makes two of them. Hector just doesn't like the heat.
He jogs up beside Owen, gives him a playful little nudge in the side. ]
C'mon. Can't wait to see what you look like wide.
[ You are so skinny my dude.
And in he goes! ]
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[Though that's fair. He knows he can be a bit... bony for some people, but that's their problem.
But he nods, stepping into the hall of mirrors and feeling immediate relief once he's out of the sun.]
Ah, this is so much better... It's ridiculous there are heat waves in video games, too, intentional or not.
[Why is this game so bugged? Last time he joins a beta. He'll wait for the official releases from here on out.]
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Nope. Nothing.
[ He says this as they step into the hall; in fact, Owen, he would have you know that [REDACTED].
But the relief is shared. Hector pushes back sweaty strands of hair from his face and lets the cool dark settle in around him. ]
Seriously. I'm not a fan of the heat at all. I get it's meant to be realistic, but they don't need to add in every unpleasant part of life.
[ He stops in front of one mirror, one that squishes and stretches him. He points, laughs. ]
Look, I'm almost as tall as you now.
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They’ve gone too far this time. Wonder if we’ll get a blizzard next - that would be nice.
[Maybe they can speedrun the seasons here, too!!
Owen stops next to Hector, looking into the mirror. They both look absolutely ridiculous, and he laughs softly.]
Almost, but you’re not that much shorter then me.
[i keep thinking hector is tall]
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He looks up at Owen, then stands on his toes. That makes him taller—he grins. For a second he staggers, unable to keep his balance, and so he rests an arm on Owen's shoulder to keep himself steady. ]
Now I'm taller.
[ He looks back at the mirror, blinks when he notices something odd about it... That is shimmers, like it's about to show him something different entirely... ]
1/2
Yeah, yeah. Enjoy it while it lasts, big guy.
[He looks at their reflections, tilting his head. This whole carnival feels a bit juvenile, but it's not that bad. Probably. At least not yet.]
cw disordered eating, hospitalization, general Being Mentally Unwell,,,
You throw your sweater over the back of the dingy couch that was in this flat when you moved in, heading towards the kitchen. You haven’t eaten at all today, but there’s a heavy feeling in your body that has ruined your appetite. Maybe it was work. Maybe it’s just the way it feels like your mind and body are itchy, open wounds, your skin crawling for no reason. You take a half-drunk bottle of juice from the fridge, sipping on it and standing in the tiny kitchen in your flat.
You don’t have much on your mind, at this moment, but you feel like you’ve been stretched far too thin. You don’t know how long you spend staring at the stove, but eventually the hollow silence is broken by several knocks on your door. You’re familiar with the rhythm to it, so you’re not surprised when the door opens and you turn to glare at the man stepping into your place. He’s taller and broader than you, the scar on his nose fresh, and he’s holding an old, leather suitcase in one hand. Behind him stands a man even taller than he is, his red hair still vibrant in the shitty light of the hallway.
Bradley waltzes in like he can’t see the way you’re glaring at him, holding up the suitcase and dropping it on the couch.]
Pack up. White’s got you a passport in there.
[It takes you a moment, biting back the swears on your tongue, but when you open the suitcase you find he’s right. There’s a passport with your name and picture in it, as well as two envelopes. You pick up the thicker one, opening it to find it’s filled with money. Enough to buy a plane ticket, you assume, but not much else. You grit your teeth, not sure if you’re furious or if it’s something else entirely, but…
It seems daddy dearest didn’t forget about you. Maybe he heard, about what happened, about what you did. Maybe Dr. Garcia breached patient privacy and let him know, with how you had unluckily ended up at that hospital…
Well. Easier to take advantage of this and get the hell out of England while you can. The thought of taking handouts makes you feel like vomiting, but - it’s an out. It’s a change of pace.
There’s not much in your flat worth packing up - you throw some clothes in that suitcase, grab your laptop and phone as well as their charges, some headphones, but that’s all you need. Bradley hovers like he wants to help, while Mithra finishes off the juice you nearly forgot about. He’ll be the one driving you to the airport, and if you stop to think there’s something strange about knowing you’ll likely never see him for years - if ever again - so you simply do not stop and think, climbing into the backseat of the car and bickering with Bradley over what your destination will be.]
New York, maybe. That’s where Nero went, isn’t it?
[You dig your elbow into Brad’s side, and he rolls his eyes and nudges you back. You can tell he’s concerned - he’s always worn his heart on his sleeve, and the both of you know that’s going to doom him if he doesn’t get out of the life he’s landed in. He owes White even more than you do, but Mithra is as dull and tired as he’s always been. He’s managed to make something of himself, and you’re sure he’ll do just fine.
He always does, obnoxious as it is.
You do end up buying a ticket to New York, and they hang around and wait with you since the next flight is still hours away. You don’t say that you’ll miss them, already compartmentalizing this moment, these friendships. You’re used to leaving and being left behind, so it’s easy to lock up these feelings. You’re more concerned with what you’ll do when you land in the States - there’s only so much money in your bank account and the money White gave you won’t stretch that far, either. You’re pretty, at least. You’re sure you’ll be able to find some bleeding heart who’ll give you a place to sleep if you smile and act nicely.
Then you’ll find a way to get rid of the debt you owe Jacob White, and be done with him and his brother.]
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He falls back onto the flat of his feet, suddenly unsteady, suddenly aware of the fading itchy, crawling sensation over his skin. What the hell was that? He blinks and he's met only with his face, and Owen's.
Right—Owen.
Slowly, he turns to look at the man beside him. New York. Weird accent. So willing to go home with a stranger—
The context of his circumstances swirl around in his mind for a moment before recognition finally dawns over his expression, and his grip on Owen tightens ever so slightly. ]
Wait... Wait a second. I know you.
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So he's figured it out then - or he saw something that clarified things in the mirrors, more likely.
Owen looks over at Hector, shrugging.]
Well, seems like the cat's out of the bag.
[🧍♂️]
Are you upset?
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[ If anything, he's sympathetic, thrown into a time that just scarcely skims his memory. It was a rough patch for him, a swirling mass of disjointed events blotted out by waves of grief. That he didn't recognize Owen right away isn't a surprise to Hector.
But— ]
—Wait, you knew? [ He tilts his head, confused. ] Why didn't you say anything?
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[Essentially, at least.]
It didn't seem like there was any reason to. What would it matter, if I told you? That's what I was thinking.
[He waves a hand dismissively.]
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Well— [ Still, he gives a little huff and crosses his arms. ] It would've been nice if you said something. I am glad to see you, and to see you're okay—
[ He cuts himself off before reaching out to give Owen a playful shrug, wry smile on his face. ]
Now I'm embarrassed.
(no subject)
i meant shove not shrug u_u
this whole time i thought it was hug so i just ignored it............ i'm sorry unkie
are u kidding me.......... hector doesnt hug ppl (its ok)
:crymeow:
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