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.
Stressed Out
1. Is this about Nagito? [Sunny had seen some message about the other being stuck in a dune somewhere. Then…] Landmarks
2. No. Saw some hamsters… and toast ghost. [The former was with Nagito before he had gone missing, and the latter was familiar to Sunny only in his dreams. Eerily familiar. He had almost felt like he was going to die a second time when the Toast had floated by.]
Re: Stressed Out
...Yeah. He left a while ago without letting me know and hasn't returned yet. He's lost and I'm no good with navigating.
[Regardless, he couldn't leave Nagito out there alone. At the mention of landmarks, Makoto perked up and quickly wrote.]
Komaeda-kun mentioned a giant skeleton that could work for one! I'll ask the others if they know where that is relative to where I'm at. Thank you Sunny-kun!
Toast ghost? What's that?
no subject
A skeleton…? I didn’t see it, but if it’s big, it should be easy to see.
[As for his question…]
A ghost. Looks like toast. They say mean things, but won’t hurt otherwise. [Still, strange that the ghosts were here. They were something Sunny’s mind had made up, surely, and this wasn’t a dream… right?]
no subject
They say mean things?
[Does Makoto have to fight a weird looking ghost for you, Sunny? Did that creature hurt your feelings?]
no subject
They do. Just emotionally damaging. It hurts, but… [It wasn’t a punch to the face at least. Just one to the emotional gut.] they’re creepy.
no subject
Makoto felt a rush of protectiveness when he read the words Sunny sent. It hurts? Well, it's a good thing to know at least. Note to self, don't let Toast Ghosts anywhere near Sunny-kun.]
I see. Thanks for letting me know, Sunny-kun. And I'm sorry you had to face that.
no subject
Ah, it’s ok. I didn’t. Um… I did. But not here.
[Which was it? Sunny as he was now hadn’t needed to fight the Toast Ghost, but Sunny as Omori had and… that was difficult to explain.]
no subject
no subject
But… Makoto had been kind to him. Makoto had helped him through the Crossing, when he was terrified of water. Maybe… Makoto wouldn’t laugh.]
In… my dreams…
[All of his normal hesitance and fear is back, even in writing form. He’s glad he can hide behind his notebook for now.]
no subject
In your dreams...I see. That sounds rough. I understand. I have bad dreams too.
[It was part of the reason he had gotten addicted coffee when he joined the Future Foundation. Not that he was the only one of his friends that did. Even with his own grumpiness without coffee, he learned not to get between Kyoko and her coffee if he didn't want to get murdered. And don't get him started with trying to get Byakuya's fancy teas and alcohols. Even with the lack of resources, Byakuya always seemed to find some rare blend and horded it.]
no subject
Makoto wasn’t like that. In a way, he was a lot like Hero - accepting, patient, kind.
That gave Sunny strength to keep talking about it.]
They weren’t all bad. Not all the time. But they could be scary.
[The fact that his dreams had been a way for his mind to simultaneously ignore and process his own fears and trauma… still was a revelation Sunny was having to contend with.]
no subject
I understand. Dreams can really be scary, especially when they feels so real. Or if they reminds you of your own experiences.
[That was his experience with dreams at least. A mix of his survivor's guilt and the real life horrors he had seen in life.]
no subject
[That’s the most that Sunny would say on that matter. It felt like he was getting too close to something uncomfortable. At least Makoto was understanding.]
no subject
no subject
[He would gladly share said unfinished map of the Oasis, drawn in his notepad with colored crayons, when they next met. Maybe Makoto could help fill it out?
Something warm and pleasant accompanied the surprise he felt at the other’s suggestion. He had remembered.]
no subject
no subject
I didn’t notice. You still seem nice. [He tried to imagine Makoto irritated… and couldn’t. Nope.]
no subject
I'm glad. I would hate to make you feel like I'm angry with you.
no subject
Makoto was too kind.]
Sometimes, you can’t help it when you get angry.
no subject
That's true but I believe you can help with how you show it.
(Oh no I’m so sorry Makoto)
… No. I can’t.
[Because if he could, then they wouldn’t be in this situation. If he could just be like everyone else - do what Makoto said and could control how he felt - then…]
Re: (Oh no I’m so sorry Makoto)
It's okay if you can't, you know. There's nothing wrong with you. I know a lot of people that have a hard time with restraining their anger.
And if you can learn to someday, that's good. But until then, just try to remember to apologize when you can. And talk to people. Even if it's just through writing.
It doesn't have to be me. Just don't keep it all inside. It'll only grow if you let it fester inside you.
(We can wrap here or with yours ^^)
In fact, if Makoto tries to message him, the teen doesn’t look at his device for the rest of the day. He doesn’t go outside, staying in the hut that was mostly a safe space by now.
But… just because he doesn’t give a response doesn’t mean Makoto’s words don’t reach him.
He knew the other was right - knew that he should talk, knew that he should apologize, that it would fester…
Except it had… for four long years, guilt and bitterness had festered beneath the surface of idealistic fantasies. It would take time.]