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.
CHAT WITH THE FERRYMAN (Might as well have these two meet, especially if Hanako is staying in game)
The boy Nagito had mentioned something about other spirits - ones that weren’t just human and ended up here - and after a few hours of talking and explanation, Hanako figured it would be best to approach the closest spirit to being in-charge: The Ferryman.
Everyone had mentioned the name in one way or another, and if anyone was the overseer of this potential Boundary, it had to be them.
Not being able to float near someone was also a change, but he could make do. The boy approached as close as he could get, waving his hand within their viewpoint.]
Hello, hello~ Anyone home?
no subject
Hi, Hanako. What do you need?
no subject
I just had a few questions~
[Then, he paused.]
You… know me? Have we met before? I hate to admit, but my memories on ‘how’ I got here are a bit vague…
[And by that, he means he doesn’t remember the death that ended up with him here at all. Sure, there’s lingering emotions, a pain he can’t quite place, but the circumstances? Not there.
…certainly not the questions he had meant to ask, but that seemed kind of important to establish. As a leeway of why he might be approaching them…]
The shounen Nagito mentioned you might be the closest apparition to ‘in charge’ here.
no subject
I've been following The River a long time. But I'm just a guide. You're the ones in charge.
no subject
We’re ’in charge’… though I feel like I’m missing a few things I had to make that happen. [His Boundary wasn’t here, neither were the haku-joudai, and his knife… all were gone.]
no subject
no subject
Well, that throws him too.]
Where I’m from, when you’re in charge, you take over a set Boundary… and I normally am less… alive? [Pondering over the fact he isn’t really see-through, doesn’t have a knife, nor any sort of spiritual powers as is…] And from what I can tell… I’m not the one in charge here. Mostly because those are missing. Unless… it doesn’t work that way here?
[Hanako had just assumed this was the Far Side. Death. Sure, there weren’t any menacing creatures wandering around, but that wasn’t too unusual depending on where you ended up.]
no subject
no subject
[They are definitely omitting some of his questioned points, but… that was standard, right? Leave just enough clues out that the mind can fill in the rest.]
Being in charge then… is shaped by our choices? [Partly a question, partly a statement. He’s really just trying to make sense of this now. Some answers revealed, while others leave question in their wake.] So us being in a desert isn’t our choice, but circumstance, and yet the choices we make here shape our journey…?
[He’s used to being by himself when thinking out loud. This is fine.]
no subject
Who said that coming to the Desert was just circumstance?
no subject
[Was… that it? Truly, he must be one confused soul right now.]
no subject
[It's a journey, after all. Some answers you have to find on your own.]
The important thing is: I'm here to help you. Not the other way around.
no subject
[It would take some time. Hanako should know this but… for once, he was thrown into an entirely new situation in decades. At least they had time.
Still, the Ferryman’s words have him curious.]
So you have to do this - help us on this journey - all by yourself? With no help? Doesn’t that get lonely?
[He should know: the afterlife, even if he hadn’t been entirely there yet, had been lonely before Yashiro showed up. Decades of being unable to interact with the majority of the living, holding a position solely on your own… that took a toll, didn’t it?
Maybe he was just making assumptions again based on the gaps in their answers. Maybe there was someone else helping - but as far as Hanako had been able to find by talking to the others, the Ferryman was the only other such figure here.]
no subject
no subject
I can’t help but feel like you know us, somehow. Since you keep saying that word. [Not that he’s expecting a straightforward answer with that - they are more likely to evade it.] I guess I’m just not used to being seen~
[Maybe the loneliness he attributes to that is solely his. Maybe he’s just fishing for a connection where there isn’t any.] Even if there’s ‘no room’ for loneliness… you really don’t have anyone to share your burden with, do you? And even if you deny that there’s a ‘burden,’ that it’s your duty or you’re used to it… there’s always one…
[He isn’t saying this in a teasing manner, merely some form of understanding.]
no subject
[They present this as an answer to both trains of thought: their familiarity with the souls that pass through, and the matter of their "burden", whatever that may be.]
You don't need to worry about me, Hanako. But I'm always happy to talk, whenever you like.
no subject
[Not that he’s overly convinced. Everyone had someone worry about them - and Hanako’s own feelings were a mixture of curiosity and worry by association.]
Ah! One last thing - my assistant seems to be… well, she’s missing a few things, I think. Her last memories before arriving here are a lot farther back than when we were together… before… [How had he gotten here again? The boy shook his head.] Either way, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?
no subject
The Nene you remember isn't here yet.
no subject
‘Scuse me but… I don’t understand.
[He hated admitting that. Hated that he felt so out of his depth here.] And ‘yet’…? Yashiro is here. I’ve confirmed that much with my own eyes.
no subject
[As they had with Nagito and Makoto, they lift their hands, index fingers held together.]
A Nene is here. [They crook one finger accordingly.] She took a different path than the Nene that was with you. [And the other.]
no subject
She… ‘took a different path’…? But… [There it was again, that blank. Like he should remember something more specific than he did.] I’m… pretty sure she was with me…?
[At least, he had a hard time believing he would have left her in that Boundary by herself…
A pause, as he thought this all over, then Hanako’s gaze recenters on the Ferryman.]
But… she’s still Yashiro. Regardless of where she came from.
[It’s both an uncertain statement and a mild question. The answer to such is extremely important to him.]
no subject
Yes. They were all together, once. They're just making their way back together now.
no subject
Like pebbles in a river, all making their way home.
[Or something. Really, did the shape of the analogy matter?
Yashiro was Yashiro… that mattered.]
Well, I’d say this has been rather enlightening. [Hanako hummed happily, feeling a fear he didn’t know he had fade away, and something else took its place.] I suppose I should thank you for your time~
no subject
You can. You don't have to. I'm glad I could help. If you need anything else, I'll be here.
[literally!]