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.
no subject
...But what if it's gone? Both your luck and mine. ...It might explain things.
[Could such a thing be possible? He carefully turned to look at Nagito as he said this, waiting for his response.]
no subject
I hate to disagree with you, Naegi-sama, but that's impossible.
no subject
...I'm just saying. It's possible, right? Our talents aren't more unusual than someone's magic here, after all. I think that's more impossible than the chance of our luck disappearing after our death. At least, considering all the worlds that are connected in this place.
[Just the knowledge of all those worlds, both entirely different to his and the ones parallel to his like Nagito's made his head swim.]
no subject
[He doesn't know how to conceptualize himself without his luck. If it's gone, he can't imagine a "Komaeda Nagito" who is still there in any sense of the word.]
no subject
...Luck isn't all you have, Komaeda-kun. Luck may have shaped your life and experiences but it was your wits and skills that led you here. Luck may have influenced most if not everything you did and still do, but it was your adaptability and choices that ultimately brought you to this point.
[He takes a big breath as he tries to make Nagito understand. What would the others say... What would Hinata-kun say?]
None of us, no matter how prevalent they may be, are just our talents. Or our choices. Or even our past. We are a combination of all these things and more. We can be influenced by them but we will always be more than that.
[He hesitates before adding.]
Hasn't your time with Hinata-kun shown you that? Or do you think it's only because he's him?
no subject
[He looks away. As much as he instinctively tries to deny what Makoto's saying, it's not as if the words have no impact. He wraps his arms around himself, squeezes tight enough he can feel it in his mechanical limb, then holds out a hand.]
Rock paper scissors. Then we'll know.
[Except against Hinata, he's never unintentionally lost.]
no subject
[Makoto watches Nagito hug himself in concern as he waits a reply. Whether that will be a rejection or something else, Makoto will wait for as long as Nagito needs. But when Nagito thrusts out his hand and says those words, Makoto is confused.]
Rock paper scissors? What would tha-!
[Makoto stops when he realizes, perking up and then his expression turns serious.]
Understood. Let's do it.
[He holds out his hand and prepares to start.]
no subject
no subject
[Makoto's mind reels at how fast Nagito is but manages to keep pace with him, quickly thinking of one of the choices. Maybe scissors? Quickly morphing his hand into a crude resemblance of scissors, he looks at Nagito's and his eyes widen.]
Eh? I won?
[Makoto stares at their hands in silent awe before looking at Nagito with wide eyes.]
no subject
He sucks in air, finally.]
What?
no subject
M-Maybe it was just a fluke! Let's try again!
no subject
Rock, paper, scissors. [He's going fast again, this time out of something like desperation, throwing rock this time.]
no subject
You chose rock?
[He won? Makoto had terrible luck with games, and usually lost by a landslide. But this...]
Komaeda-kun...
no subject
Ah.
[For a few moments, that's it. A quiet noise, a blank expression. Then the giggling starts, bubbling up out of him, as impossible to stop as the tide. It's gone. He's not lucky anymore. He's not talented anymore.
Relief floods through him, enough that he's dizzy with it. And then guilt, because that's not how he should feel, this isn't good, this makes him absolutely useless, even less of a stepping stone than he was, not worthy of his former Super High School Level title. The giggling turns into laughter, but the mania doesn't quite roll him under like he's used to. He tries to cover his mouth and is startled to find his hand coming away wet. He has no idea when he started crying. Somewhere in his wildly churning thoughts he's embarrassed.]
no subject
But when he sees the tears rolling down Nagito's face, any worry about despair falls away and pure concern for his friend rises. Without hesitation, he wraps his arms around Nagito's shaking body and holds him against himself.]
Komaeda-kun...
no subject
Shyly, uncertainly, he lifts his hands to hang onto Makoto, not quite hugging him, not allowing himself that. Even this much feels like taking liberties.]
My luck is gone. [His voice comes out very nearly tonelessly. Everything feels like it's been turned sideways.]
no subject
It's okay. Help me understand. Why is that a bad thing?
[He gently rubs Nagito's back as he asks the question.]
no subject
[According to their world. According to Hope's Peak. According to everything he's been taught and known and internalized, maybe more than anybody else.]
no subject
He would always be grateful for Hope's Peak Academy for letting him meet his classmates but sometimes he wished it never existed. Still, keeping all his inner thoughts inside, he raises a hand to Nagito's head and gently strokes his hair soothingly.]
Listen to me, Komaeda-kun. You are so much more than just your talent. Your luck. I know our world valued talent over everything but talent doesn't determine your worth. It never did. It wasn't your talent that made us friends. It wasn't talent that made me risk everything to save you and your friends. It was our hearts. That's something no talent can replicate. As long as we are exist, we have worth.
It's okay if you don't believe me right now. But I hope someday, you can believe it at least a little. That you deserve happiness and are worth it. You matter.
no subject
[He'd been glad. He'd been relieved. Those feelings are still there, shaming him, spitting in the face of all his values.]
no subject
...Can I be honest with you, Komaeda-kun? I'm glad you lost your luck. All that you've gone through because of it...I can't begin to imagine what you've gone through. But here, you're free. You can meet people without worrying about your luck harming them. You can experience joy without fear of losing it. For the first time in a long time, you're free. I'm so happy for you.
[He gently pulls Nagito away from his embrace to look him in the eyes.]
But I understand that it'll be hard on you too. After all, you relied on that luck just as much as you suffered from it. But know this, no matter what happens, or how you feel about yourself, I'm glad to have met you. I'm glad we're friends. And I will stay by your side for as long as you will have me.
no subject
If you're glad--then it's okay, maybe? [Maybe. He'll have to keep turning it over in his head and working through it for a while yet.]
...How does it feel for you? Losing your luck? [Just for this moment--because this is about how shaken up Nagito needs to be to forget himself a little--he looks at Makoto not as a deity of hope but as a fellow lucky student.]
no subject
...It feels like I've lost something. Like a companion that has been by my side since the beginning. For both the good and bad. My luck wasn't like yours. Most of the misfortune that happened was targeted at me instead of others. That misfortune brought plenty of shame and embarrassment but also kindness and sympathy from others. And I haven't forgotten how my luck saved my life with that door.
[He frowns slightly at the memory of the door and what it meant. What it had proved. Letting out a breath as he lets it go, he looks back at Nagito and smiles at him as he continues.]
But I also feel free in a way. Like I could fly without burdening someone. The things I wasn't able to do before. I'm certainly more physically coordinated at least!
[He laughs at his joke before continuing.]
Talent doesn't define us but it sometimes cages us in a path we might not want to take. Now we're free to choose the path we want to take. And that is something worth treasuring, despite some growing pains.
I will miss it sometimes I'm sure, but I think we will be able to soar through the sky instead of being stuck on the ground. Komaeda-kun...
[He embraces Nagito again as tears fall from his eyes.]
Let's fly together. Not as SHSL Luck Students, but as Naegi Makoto and Komeada Nagito.
no subject
He might have said something, except Makoto hugs him again. And so he lets it go this time. Just for right now.]
I don't think I know how to do that. [He knows he doesn't know how to do that. Slowly, he loops his arms around Makoto in return. It's loose, like he expects to immediately wear out his welcome, but it's a hug nonethless.] But--it's very hopeful, watching you.
no subject
That's okay. I believe in you. Just keep watching me and one day, I'm sure you'll be able to soar yourself.
[He will be there to help Nagito be free. Even if it took a long time. As long as Nagito will have him, he will stay by his side and show him that such dreams are possible.]