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⬣//A SINGLE CRACK LETS THE LIGHT IN.
As they say, fortune favors the brave. Five lucky players took part in a Limited Quest: The Mysterious Sky Islands, in which they discovered a brand new Root Town. While the team was largely successful in their efforts to make the mysterious floating town in the sky habitable, not everyone embraced the spirit of teamwork on this journey.
When you gate in to this shiny new Root Town, you'll notice something curious: it has no name. Its name simply displays as "???" in every context menu and there is no signage around the Root Town itself that points to its true name— rather, the name it had before they came along.
Whispers on the wind tell of an evil wizard in flowing white robes who ruthlessly boiled the village elder alive. With him died all of this mysterious Root Town's lore and history, and in its place are tales of the monster who robbed this land of its identity. The elemental sprites that populate this village refuse to speak their name, simply wishing you "good luck, have fun!" as you turn to leave.
While on your journey to check out the island, you'll notice how unstable the bridges are. Unstable might be putting it lightly, because for some unlucky souls, crossing the wrong bridge means plummeting to your death. It seems that whoever was put in charge of constructing these bridges didn't give a damn about structural integrity.
The local sprites are pleading with adventurers to assist them in building better, more stable bridges, but bridging the gap between one island and the next is not a job for a single person. If you have enough of a heart to heed the pleas of the sprites, you'll want to work with your fellow players to get the job done. All the wood, nails, and rope you need to construct better bridges has been helpfully supplied to you by the sprites. You could always sabotage the project too, of course, but what kind of person would you be if you did that?
The professions system has been added to fragment. Rejoice, busybodies, for there is much furniture to be built and dubious potions brewed.
In celebration of the new crafting & gathering system, a crafts festival is being held in the Unnamed Root Town. Take care not to plummet to your death while traversing those rickety bridges.
Players are encouraged to set up a booth of their own and trade their unique handcrafted items with their fellow adventurers. In addition to being supplied with enough level 1 and level 2 crafting materials to give the crafting system a spin, the local NPCs are running a contest encouraging people to come up with their own for a chance to have their creations canonized as real crafting recipes.
To submit your own recipe ideas, you need only fill out this handy form:
Recipe name:
Recipe category: Alchemist, Carpenter, Chef, or Jeweler?
Which two items does your recipe call for? Choose two items to combine. Only gatherable items (refer to the professions page) can be used.
Effect: What does this item do, if anything?
Description: A brief description of your lovely new product.
Fragment's beta test has seen its fair share of unusual bugs and unintended features, and with the latest update bringing many new changes, it's inevitable that some things have broken behind the scenes.
If two players happen to log in at the same time, they might find their avatars swapped with one another's. Thankfully, this issue doesn't lead to the unpleasant exchange of deep-seated memories or anything of the sort, but getting used to a body that isn't yours takes time. Thankfully, this particular bug resolves itself when both players log out.
The windy town of Unnamed Root Town is generally quite scenic and pleasant, but there's just one issue. It's far, far windier than it should be. If the rickety bridges don't kill you, the gusts that intermittently blow across the sky islands might knock you off your feet if you don't watch your footing carefully. Thankfully, the crafts festival on the southernmost end of the island hasn't been impacted by the severe winds. Among them is one voice that you don't recognize: a voice that promises a death, gruesome and bloody, in the days to come.
To everyone's relief, the carnival and its notorious hall of mirrors has packed up and left Lumina Cloth, but your past hasn't finished haunting you. The foul winds carry whispers of the past along with them, uttering words and phrases uncomfortably familiar to you. They're the voices of your past, the voices of people you've known, loved, and lost. Covering your ears won't keep the voices out of your ears. Nothing will.
Finally, on the more mundane some of things, professions have a few kinks of their own that need to be worked out. Occasionally, a crafted item won't come out quite right, instead resulting in one of the following "items":
Alchemist: Truth Serum. Become unable to lie for 24 hours.
Blacksmith: Whatever you're enhancing transforms into a denim disaster. Introducing your new "body" armor, "leg" armor, "head" armor, and "arm" armor.
Carpenter: Mirror Mirror. Reflects the person you're most afraid of becoming.
Chef: Durian Delight. A succulent durian pudding that reeks so strongly that its stench can be smelled all across the Root Town or Area you're occupying.
Jeweler: Crystal Ball. Breaks after one use but allows you to read another player's thoughts for five minutes.
With crafting in full swing, a certain admin has been lured out of his hidey hole by the smell of delicious chef-prepared meals. Hien is hungry, and you will feed him.
Chefs are not limited by the recipes they know like some professions are, so players are encouraged to think outside of the box and combine unique ingredients to cook up something truly special.
Taste, however, isn't the only important part of a perfect meal. Chefs looking to impress the big man himself are expected to present their culinary delights to him with pomp and finesse. You need to impress Hien if you want to gain more from this venture than the participation prize of a chef skin.
Those who successfully woo Hien with their delectable dishes will be given an additional prize: a little black pomchi pet to accompany their avatar around Root Towns and Special Areas. Hien will be giving these out at his discretion, so you better suck up to the dogboss in charge if you want a pomchi of your very own. If you catch Hien in a good mood, he may even agree to give you a different breed of dog if you ask nicely.
Hello, everyone! Can you believe it's been an entire month since our beta test began? Even though we've already been through a lot together, we've still got three months left! I'm rooting for you all!
As of today, the level cap has increased from 25 to 50. That means new armor and weapons will be available to you! Get out there to different Areas and start leveling up! But don't forget to stop every once in a while and enjoy your surroundings, too. Which reminds me—don't forget to check out the new Recreational Areas! We have a beach and hotsprings for you to enjoy now. I hope everyone continues to have fun exploring!
We've also opened up the GP shop, where you can create your own special armor set for a certain price, along with a few other things. Please check it out!
Oh, and don't forget to use these three new greeting cards I've made! Here they are! Make sure you use them so you can connect with your fellow players! We're all friends here, after all.
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As for asking him about it? This is a way of getting some details slowly but surely. Ganymede knows himself; he isn't exactly the most calmest of individuals anymore. And Michel, he's...if he can know more without dragging out all the hurt all at once, he'd like that to be the case. ]
I think so.
[ He has no remorse for doing that and he hopes it means he killed the man, but he withholds making a statement like that, even though Michel holds him close. He doesn't care if it makes the dance stop because he'll reach out to return the embrace, wanting one himself. ]
"The organization responsible for this has been taken care of," Is basically what the response consisted of. Among...unimportant facts. Though, I'm not sure if they really were that successful.
Groups like these have such a long reach. But, maybe it's just because I know it's better to be cynical than optimistic.
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[ It's more a surprised echo than a question. What would be unimportant, about "taking care of" an organization that could keep someone captive for years? But then again, it's not as if much, or any, of that was Ganymede's concern to deal with...
This is too much thinking for him to do while moving, so when the dance comes to a pause, he settles into the moment of rest and press his fingers reassuringly against Ganymede's waist. He's quiet for too long as he tries to force the sleep-rusted cogs of his brain to turn.
Cynicism is better... safer, at least. He ordinarily would have agreed. Are those the only two options? ]
And you've heard nothing since then. [ Or so he infers. ] How long has it been?
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...Three years since then.
[ Ganymede answers honestly. He escaped when he was twenty-two. ]
The upside is that I haven't seen anything or heard of the organization operating anywhere. So, it can be that I have nothing to be concerned with in regards to my immediate surroundings, and I will just have to assume that's the case.
[ But reality is a bit more cruel, isn't it? Ganymede isn't so optimistic to assume that, and he still lives in fear. But he's not going to bother complaining about that either. He can't help that kind of paranoia, and he thinks it'll never go away. He has accepted that, amongst other issues that he has...but that being said, he fully trusts Michel enough to discuss these at all. Which is why he doesn't feel like he has lost something by saying what he has now. ]
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If it's been so long... then it might be taken care of, just as they said. Or that if part of that organization still exists somewhere, it has nothing to do with you.
[ He doesn't want to irresponsibly give Ganymede empty reassurance. But does it help to encourage him to constantly look over his shoulder? He doubts Ganymede needs anyone else to fuel fears that must be deeply ingrained for him as it is. ]
You realize that if you were to stop logging in, I'll have to call you as well.
[ What else could he do about it? It's not as if he has a passport... ]
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That he simply continues to hold on. ]
Yes, it'd be either one of those two prospects.
[ Or a third, his own mind (un)helpfully supplies. But Ganymede knows he has lied to himself before, though pretending now is a little harder at the moment. Still, his expression softens at hearing the man's words. It's a bit comforting to hear that Michel might. No...he would do something like that. ]
Would you? I suppose I should let you know about my schedule. I think I have a big show coming up soon. I wouldn't want to worry you when I can avoid that.
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One step, then another. No need to try to track more streams of thought than that. ]
Do you? I—
[ Want to see, he almost says. He stumbles a little, as if trying to draw his words up short disorders his steps instead. He already saw Ganymede dance a little earlier. But... if it's a large performance, maybe something like that would be recorded. ]
...I would appreciate that. Not that I would be worrying senselessly.
[ Wait. He just all but admitted that he would be. ]
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That's alright, though. Because Ganymede will happily circle around to it, hoping he might be able to guess correctly what he might have asked. ]
Are you interested in it? ...In seeing me?
[ He shouldn't get his hopes up. But he desperately wants that to be the case. He's had family come to his shows at times, though this one neither one of them will be able to attend. Michel coming to one he has been preparing for in earnest and a big one at that will mean a lot to him. Not to mention, seeing Michel himself... ]
How about I text you the details, then? [ He adds a light tease: ] So that I won't worry you so much?
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I'm interested.
[ In... dance? In the artistry. In learning more about the traditions. There are any number of excuses close to hand, but as he mentally juggles between them, the moment passes and the statement stands as it left his mouth, accidentally substantially more truthful. Oops. ]
...I'd like to see one of your dances in full. [ Anyway!! ] I'll look for your text.
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Even if it might seem unclear, the answer tells the blond a lot. Enough that when he finally stops in moving, his expression seems to grow even brighter. ]
...I'm glad.
Speaking of dancing, I probably should get going. I did take a day off, but I can't exactly be monopolizing your time doing only dancing in the game all day.
[ Ganymede states, sounding almost breathless in his giddiness, not too high-key, but all the same like when one has managed to catch one of their favorite high-profile actors face-to-face.
With that, he gives him parting words, waits for Michel's in turn, and then logs off. ]
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Michel is still contemplating that, a man dazzled by the sun and too stricken by it to reply for a long moment. ]
Mm? Ah... o-of course.
[ Ganymede is busy, most likely. And as for Michel, well... He might find a warm place in Mac Anu to curl up and daydream as he falls asleep with his headset on. ]
...You can call on me. Whenever you happen to be free.
[ They can do this again, sometime. And until then, Michel can replay the memory of that dance in his thoughts, again and again. ]