TEST DRIVE #2

[thecrossingmods]

TDM #2

Welcome to The Desert, wayward souls.
It's good to see you again.

The TDM is game canon and will be active FEB—APR. For further details about the setting, please reference our current setting page. All the information there is fair game for this TDM.

arrival

— BENEATH THE RIVER ( NEW CHARACTERS ONLY )
CW: claustrophobia, being buried alive
If your journey is starting here, you begin as all others have, and all others will: in The River.

You awake in the dark and the damp, with pressure all around you. In this case, however, it isn't water that surrounds you— but earth. Specifically, it is mud made from the sand of the desert and the standing water of the sparkling white salt flat that The River has become, and it behaves like quicksand. It has you here, and it doesn't want to let go.

You aren't in any direct danger; you may or may not notice that you don't need to breathe down here (or at all). But that may be difficult to appreciate in the moment: immediately on waking, you are seized by what was perhaps your last memory— or, at least, the somatic feeling of it. Panic, terror, pain; or (depending on the circumstances) maybe peace, or relief. It is the moment of your death as told by your body's visceral, emotional response, and it won't stop until you pull yourself out of the mud.

You are close to the surface. Even a bit of lucky thrashing might be enough for you to break through the sludge, and crack the shell of salt above. But The River will not release you easily; it will continue to suck you back down until you are able to fully pry yourself free— or someone else is able to lend you a hand.

— BEYOND THE RIVER ( EXISTING CHARACTERS ONLY )
If you arrived here from the Cavern, you'll find that the cave you came from opens up onto a rocky cliff face, not unlike the one you may have found yourself settled in before The Crossing. From here you can see the sprawl of the Desert ahead of you: the Oasis tucked against the base of the cliffs, the endless dunes, and the wide, white expanse of The River — though it hardly looks like one now.

There is no city to be found among these cliffs, though. They are steep and rocky, with dry, loose sand making finding and keeping traction difficult. There is a narrow, winding path to the Oasis below, but it will take time to hike, and the sun is already hot and oppressive above you.

Theoretically, there's a more direct route... if you're feeling bold. The cliffs are covered in jutting striations (as if, say, carved by a massive river, or maybe a River) that make halfway decent handholds and footholds for anyone hoping to climb their way down instead.

Just don't change your mind too much. If you turn back, you may find that the path behind has become impassable or now leads somewhere else entirely. You don't ever see it happening, but it's almost as if the cliffs are rearranging themselves whenever your back is turned.

shelter from the storm

— THE OASIS
The Oasis, as well as the rest of the surrounding Desert, is bustling with life. (Or do plants and animals have a Journey they need to complete, too?) It's a green, if not lush, patch surrounding a small lake of fresh water, partially shielded by the arms of the cliffs from the winds blowing across the dunes.

There are creatures besides you making their homes here: from small, skittering mammals to circling scavengers. If you look closely, though, you'll find it's a bit of a mishmash, as if an ecosystem appeared rather than developed... and, depending on where you're from, some of it might even be recognizable to you.

Those of you that came from the Cavern might appreciate the return of natural light, though you might be disappointed to discover that day and night don't always arrive at the cadences you might expect them to... In fact, they don't seem to follow any recognizable or even trackable pattern at all. Some noon suns stretch on forever; some sunsets speed run straight into dry, cold night.

If that were all the unpredictability the Desert had to offer, it might be tolerable enough... but the weather proves to be just as erratic. One day is clear and bright, with wide-open skies; the next brings dust clouds and lightning storms rolling in from the dunes. (And when today might be half as long as yesterday, those swings add up.)

Luckily for all of you, there have evidently been others here before you, just like in the Cavern. There is a collection of shelters lining the Oasis, no more than huts designed to keep everyone within as cool as possible. There's less space than there was in the Subterranean City, but that means some things are easier to find... The huts are decorated just like the city was before it, as if in layers with the odd familiar trinket from your home stashed in a drawer or under a mattress.

shifting sands

— THE DUNES
The Ferryman is holding vigil at The River, as they always are. They have positioned themselves (and their Lantern) so that their Light casts over the Oasis— but that aura can only cast so far.

The Lantern's Light might not be quite so obvious here as it was down in the Cavern, drowned out as it is by the desert sun, but you can still feel when you approach the edge of its protection, the way the sense of comfort and safety wanes. Beyond it are the rolling dunes of the Desert, where wraiths gather in great numbers.

Those who have been paying close attention will recognize that these are not the same wraiths you encountered in the Cavern. Or, at least, none of the wraiths you encountered in the Cavern are represented here.

These wraiths are not the violent, wailing beasts encountered by some during The Crossing. They are just the same as the wraiths originally found in the Cavern: silent, insubstantial, and always watching. The ones who have found the Oasis prowl the edge of the boundary; the others wander the dunes as if lost. Or, perhaps, searching.

If you, yourself, wander the dunes, you'll find them at best difficult to navigate— or, at worst, impossible. You may be swallowed by a sand storm, or lose sight of your landmarks when descending into a valley between the dunes. You might find yourself somewhere you never expected to be... Or, you might just need to send a message out to the others for help finding your way home.

code

Comments

Nagito Komaeda | current player, prospective characters welcome to reply!

[blindluck]

A; Early Wildcard
[Nagito takes the long, safe route down the cliffside, stopping only to glance curiously over the edge of a cliff and cheerfully--if exhaustedly--suggest anyone taking the faster route do their best not to slip. Compared to his manic behavior on the way here, and his jittery bursts as they rested from the journey, now he's a cleaner, quieter kind of tired. It's not long after spotting the oasis that he slips away.

Anyone looking for him, or simply looking around, will find Nagito tucked into the smallest, least-inviting of the shelters, pressed tight into a corner rather than making use of any of the furniture, asleep. He's removed his left, mechanical arm, keeping it close on his lap, and seems completely unbothered sleeping sitting up in a corner on the floor. Touch him--or try to move the mechanical arm--and he'll wake up. Otherwise, just leave him be. It's fine.]

B; Flora and Fauna
[Later--a handful of hours, though with the way the light shifts here Nagito can't be sure how long he slept--Nagito sets about exploring the oasis. That there are animals here surprises him, though as he considers the idea further maybe it shouldn't. Animals die just like people. It was stranger that there weren't any in the cavern, surely.

The hamsters currently have his attention. He's crouched down some distance away, watching some of the larger ones. Hearing someone approach, he points to the one with the longest fur.]

Did you know some people call those kinds teddy bear hamsters?

C; The Dunes - Network
[Nagito set out into the sandy dunes without any destination in mind. He's familiar with traveling like that; his luck always finds some place or another for him to end up.

But, still obstinately unbeknownst to him, he doesn't have his luck here, and without that, wandering off into the desert is a great way to get yourself lost.]

Sorry to bother all of you while we're all still settling in! At least, I assume it hasn't actually been that long, even if I've seen a couple of night times out here already. There's really no need to bother with me or this message overmuch, or at all if you're busy! I was just wondering if anyone had tips for how to navigate back to the oasis when all you can see is sand!

[Maybe someone should help him out before he double dies in the desert.]

D; Late Wildcard
[Have something else in mind for Nagito? He can mostly be found hanging around the oasis, watching the animals, and searching all the buildings. If you have something specific you'd like, you can let me know at maiiau!]

Flora and Fauna

[solitarynote]

[When Sunny finally works up the courage to leave one of the huts and make his way back outside, he didn’t expect to see Nagito crouched over in the grass.

He could take a hint though - the other was watching something. Mirroring Nagito’s posture as best he could (even if he could already feel the sun beating down on them unpleasantly), he shook his head.

Expression seeming to ask ‘what’s that?’ A teddy bear hamster? It sounded like a strange amalgamation… or maybe an enemy creature in a game.]

[blindluck]

[Nagito is kind of surprised Sunny approached him--he'd assumed after the Crossing that everybody would distance themselves. Well, maybe he's looking for clues or something. Or maybe he likes hamsters.]

That one there. [He follows the hamster with his finger as it moves to better point it out.] But they're actually long-haired Syrian hamsters. I knew someone in my world who bred them.

Oh that hamster is adorable!

[solitarynote]

[Maybe Sunny should have felt cautious… but Nagito hadn’t really lashed out at him. Not in a way that would scare Sunny off yet. So approach the teen did, curious - and safe, since they were still mostly within the bounds of the Oasis.

Sunny wouldn’t say he overly liked hamsters, but at least they weren’t bunnies.

He followed where Nagito was pointing, seeing the small, almost indecipherable creature hidden amongst the sands.]

Bred…? Like… a pet…?

[Sunny himself didn’t have a pet, but Mari had-

Shaking his head, he refocused.]

[blindluck]

[Like a Dark Deva of Destruction or a Zodiac General. But Nagito doesn't entirely understand the significance of those titles himself, so:] Something like that. He's the former Super High School Level Breeder, so it's not just hamsters, but I think those are his favorites.

[Animal breeder. He's referring to someone who breeds animals, not whatever else a breeder might imply. But you know how when you hear something long enough you forget how it sounds? Yeah.]

Network (I had to XD)

[solitarynote]

[That… sounded a lot like a cry for help. Maybe.]

Did you get stuck?

[Stuck where? He was trying to figure that out. Maybe not the best question to start with.]

save him sunny

[blindluck]

No, I can move around!

[Nagito may have misunderstood that text...]

I almost choked on laughter XD

[solitarynote]

[…it seems like he has. Well, that’s good to know - that Nagito could move. It would be a problem if he couldn’t. For Nagito, he thinks.]

Are you… stuck somewhere in the desert?

[There: a refined question.]

[blindluck]

Oh! Yes, I am. I'm afraid I can't be much more specific than that, however.

A! Shelter

[witnessvelama]

[The early misery of heat and wind, after such a harrowing trip down the cliffs, is enough to drive Celehar towards the shelters not long after arriving at the oasis. He didn't even climb down the cliff, but even after resting at the edge of the River-turned-flats, the climb had left him physically weary, ready to retreat for a time.

And so he'd had the same thought as Nagito - the abrupt change in lighting and the young man's efforts to tuck himself away mean that Celehar has moved more than a few steps into the space by the time his eyes adjust and he registers the slumped shape in the corner.]

Oh - my apologies.

[That, too, he says, before he realizes that he must have interrupted his rest, already taking a few steps back towards the entrance and bowing his head slightly in apology.]

[blindluck]

[When Nagito wakes there's a brief expression of flat assessment and calculation before he realizes where he is and what situation he's in (in the desert, dead) and relaxes again. The odds of Celehar attacking him seem pretty low, so he doesn't have any particular need to be ready to spring right now. Instead, he stretches. He hasn't tied off the sleeve of his hoodie, so it just flops over as he raises his arm. It seems like his flesh ends just a little below the eblow.]

You don't need to apologize on my account! It isn't as if this is my bedroom or anything. [Though he'll probably end up using it as temporary accommodations.] It's important to search every building thoroughly, after all.

[Between the passage of time and the nap, you could almost believe Nagito didn't have a loud, dramatic episode just a few hours ago with how he looks now.]

[witnessvelama]

[Indeed, Celehar has nothing that might be mistaken for a weapon, and has lifted his hands in a more peaceful gesture. His attention catches on the sleeve, and the prosthetic - the concept is familiar from his time in Amalo, if not the intricacy of the replacement, so his attention slides over it, to instead focus on Nagito's face.

The voice is familiar, somewhat, from the crossing - it did echo, just as the others did. But Celehar doesn't ask.]

Is it? With the light, I had not thought to anticipate threats within them. Nevertheless - I did not mean to disturb your rest after so harrowing an ordeal.

[blindluck]

Oh, I was thinking more about looking for information. But since this desert has animals, we probably shouldn't discount scorpions in bedsheets or shoes, either! [He says this so cheerfully. Nagito didn't take off his shoes and has no bedsheets, though, so these are purely theoretical suggestions.] Overcoming an ordeal like that can only make everyone reach even more strongly toward hope, so I have a good feeling about things!

The Dunes - Network

[cloversandcranes]

Komaeda-kun?! That's where you went?!

[After Nagito's meltdown at the crossing, Makoto had been keeping an eye on him while trying not to hover around him too much. But when he woke up one day and couldn't find his upperclassman, he panicked and went searching for him. After hours of searching, he couldn't find him and even with others help, was starting to get worried.]

Stay right where you are! I'm coming!

[Standing up quickly from his resting spot in one of the huts, he starts to run outside when he realizes something. Nagito doesn't know where he is. How is Makoto supposed to find him? Quickly writing another message, he waits for a response anxiously.]

You don't know where you are, do you?

[blindluck]

Well, if I knew where I was, I wouldn't need tips on how to get back. But you really don't have to come all the way out here to get me!

[You know. Wherever "here" is.]

[cloversandcranes]

That's true... And yes, yes I do.

[There's no way he's leaving Nagito all alone in an unknown desert.]

You really don't see anything but dunes where you're at?

C; The Dunes - Network | un: gulfan

[protectorofkouka]

I've been trying to figure that out as well. Stars would be the best way to navigate out here however the stars here seemed to move across the sky so quickly that you find yourself looking at a different patch of sky each night. That and the unpredictable day and night cycles makes it rather difficult to map out the night sky.

[blindluck]

That sounds like a good idea, though! Unfortunately, I never learned to navigate by the stars. I should be able to recognize some constellations, but I'm not certain this is the right sky for them.

[He's found a couple recognizable ones, he thinks, but it doesn't seem like they're in the right places, and he's sure they're not staying in the same place.]

Still, if we're both out in the desert, maybe we'll run into each other! [Wouldn't that be lucky?]

[protectorofkouka]

It's not too difficult and it's possible even with an unfamiliar sky. You just have to start from scratch, learning to recognize a few constellations you can easily find, and understanding their movements in the night sky. That's the tricky part here since the unpredictable nights create an uneven journey across the sky, and one that seems to be a lot faster than normal.

[It was both frustrating and fascinating how different this realm was. He would prefer to admire it from the safety of the oasis though. Oh, but he could reliably use the stars for one thing right now, provide the current night cycle doesn't end too soon.]

I may be able to help with that. We can use the stars as landmarks. If we're quick we might be able to find each other before the night ends and the sky changes again. What do you see?

Flora and Fauna

[daikonheroine]

[Yashiro knew she shouldn't risk going further away from the Oasis, since she didn't know the dangers that the desert held... but she couldn't resist once she caught sight of some slightly familiar creatures.]

Ah!! They're just like Black Canyon! [She couldn't resist the squeal that escaped her as she looked at them all. True enough they did look similar to her pet hamster....]

Ah... wait... there's someone else here... [The thought took a moment to form as the other teen's word's registered in her head.]

Ah! S-sorry! I interrupted you! Umm... you said teddy bear hamsters right?

[blindluck]

[Oh, someone new. There haven't been very many new faces joining them at the desert so far; it's a novelty to see new faces.]

Yes. The larger ones with the long fur. [He does his best to point directly at them from a distance.] You have a hamster?

[daikonheroine]

Yes! His name is Black Canyon!

[She leaned over to point out one that kind of looked similar to her precious pet.]

He's small, and shaped kind of like a ball... and has light grey fur and a white stomach... and hit little paws and whiskers are just the cutest! He's only 3 months only so I hope he'll live a long time!

[Yashiro startled then. Here she was gushing about her hamster to a total stranger...]

I'm sorry! I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Nene Yashiro!

The Dunes - Network

[knockingatthedoor]

I mean, we somehow see stars and if there's one thing that I know about traveling with them is.. huh... they don't move that much? Not from one day or the other at least. Maybe you could try to use them if you can wait until night? Otherwise...

I'm not that sure.

I can come try looking for you, buddy.

[blindluck]

These ones move, I think! But it could also be that I'm even more terrible at identifying constellations than I thought. But you really don't have to worry, I'm sure if I keep walking I'll come across something sooner or later!

[This is an extremely safe way to travel through a desert.]

[knockingatthedoor]

While I'd usually say 'it cannot really get worse for us, considering our situation', I advise you to be careful. Isn't there any kind of shelter? The sun may still affect us after all.

And, mh... how long have you been walking?