The Crossing Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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thecrossinglogs2025-02-05 04:26 pm
thecrossingmods) wrote in thecrossinglogs2025-02-05 04:26 pm
Entry tags:
- !tdm,
- akatsuki no yona: soo won,
- attack on titan: frieda reiss,
- chronicles of osreth: thara celehar,
- danganronpa: makoto naegi,
- danganronpa: nagito komaeda,
- heralds of valdemar: need,
- mass effect: allynbee shepard,
- omori: sunny,
- overlord: arche,
- pathologic: daniil dankovsky,
- toilet bound hanako-kun: hanako,
- toilet bound hanako-kun: nene yashiro
TEST DRIVE #2
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.
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.
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, 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 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.
well it's not like nagito's acting like it
[A downswing this time, it looks like. Maybe to make up for getting dragged out of the Crossing in one piece. Surely it was luck that caused people to help him out then.]
Sunny is a lot more chatty on Network XD
[Ok, last joke. Clearly they had more important things to worry about… like where Nagito was! Vaguely, Sunny debated trying to find Makoto. Surely he would know what to do… but maybe Nagito didn’t have that much more time to wait around. Desert storms could be brutal if one hit.]
What is near you?
[Sand, Sunny. Lots and lots of sand. It was everywhere. Coarse and gritty and getting in his shoes all hours of the day.]
1/2
2/2
I'm standing on pink sand, between some yellow sand and some blue sand!
XD
o7
[After sending a small drawing saluting Nagito - whatever did that mean?? - Sunny looks around. It would probably be best to find someplace tall to see if he can spot the multicolored sand… just the thought had him sweating and near exhaustion. What was the next best solution?-]
Is there a dune nearby?
[-Maybe Nagito could climb something tall and then Sunny wouldn’t have to!]
Re: XD
no subject
Oasis sand is yellow. [Then…] Just yellow.
[Maybe Nagito could follow the yellow
bricksand road back to the Oasis?no subject
There's purple sand now as well. But I suppose I should keep following the yellow sand instead.
no subject
[Sunny agrees. He didn’t seem anything but yellow sand here. Has he gone outside the Oasis to check if the sand changes colors just outside the border? Nope!
What were they going to do if the sand has a strange color change pattern??Then…]Why- [There’s a place where the letter ‘y’ drags on, like Sunny maybe got a pebble stuck under the page and ran over it with his marker, or maybe he started to write but then debated his thoughts.] did you leave?
no subject
There might be something besides sand dunes out here!
[Which is as good a reason as any to wander off into a desert.]
Sunny has bought into the cult entirely because he wants redemption, & Makoto is nice XD
[The thought had Sunny shivering. He had seen the restless forms beyond the Oasis. Not that he had tried going beyond the lantern’s light.
Then, a realization hit him. Maybe Nagito had been searching for something useful, something like…]
Something for Makoto?
the hope cult nobody wants except nagito and sunny
[Why is he comparing a desert to a city? Don't worry about it.]
Poor Makoto XD
and honestly his lack of physical prowess would probably end with him buried under a sand dune]Cities have [] X [Agreeing. The city had more landmarks for Sunny to follow. He had enough time trying to find his way around the Oasis. A desert seemed insurmountable, surely.]
no subject
[Nagito is still walking, though, and he can see some smudges in the sky that might be birds. He's spotted the vorcel-hawks that circle the oasis, though right now he can't even be sure they're anything more than mirages.]
no subject
Someone can?
[To be able to tell the difference between different sand dunes, their colors, where they led and where one had been… they’d have to be really good at geography. Sunny was good at studying, but not that good… he was afraid he might not be as much help for Nagito as the other might be hoping.]
no subject
[It's totally normal to keep track of various alumni of your high school who have nothing to do with you, right?]
no subject
There were a lot of famous people in your school
[Not that Nagito had given a name, but between the amount of Hopefuls and their superior skills, that was the conclusion Sunny came to.]
It makes sense… why that guide we could was updated. [The Hope’s Peak guide that may or may not be still back at the city. Sunny didn’t ask that. But standard procedure seemed to go… if something was popular and had funds, it got updated, right? Like the Sprout Moles video games.]
no subject
[And of course he doesn't count, personally. Anyway, he didn't technically graduate.]
no subject
This conversation was just going in circles. They were so lost in it that he had briefly forgotten Nagito was still probably lost in the desert. Oops.]
Are you walking?
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I am! I'm walking toward some birds. I'm not sure what kind they are, but they're circling around something.
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Probably dead?
[That didn’t help - everything here was technically dead. That did give Sunny an idea though. If he could find some food, maybe they could draw birds and use them like a beacon?]
no subject
[Surely this is a good sign.]
Oh no XD Also, leaving this up to you!
The teen glanced up, worry evident in his gaze
not that Nagito could see that, probably, to find that a few birds actually were sticking near the Oasis.Huh, maybe Nagito was right. Sunny took a few steps closer to the makeshift shelters, just in case.]
See anything?
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Black birds. Look up. Above the Oasis.
[Maybe it wasn’t needed as a reminder, but Sunny was certainly watching said birds with a large amount of caution now. It wasn’t a huge flock, per se, but even one would have been enough to make him nervous.
Maybe that tidbit would help Nagito be able to narrow down which cliff directions he should walk in…]
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Sunny just got voluntold XD I’m dead
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