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

[witnessvelama]

I do not know.

[Celehar admits that - reluctantly, though not begrudgingly. He's known since he came face to face with the Ferryman that while he knows of ghosts and ghouls, he is just as lost as the rest.]

But there are many things that keep us tethered to life... not all of them painful.

[blindluck]

That's true. Foisting good memories on the unwilling is a little different, though, right? Unless they're really intimate. That might be embarrassing! [Though Nagito seems entertained by the idea, at least in the abstract.] Still, maybe Ferryman-san will ask for a good memory next time, to even it out.

[witnessvelama]

[Of all things that breaks Celehar's composure, his ears abruptly dropping down in a horrified realization. He very quickly masters his expression again, locking away whatever thought had just occurred to him - when he speaks again, he is doing his best at a neutral, unbothered tone.]

Whatever speculation we make, it will be supplanted by the truth of the matter, when we learn of the next Crossing. These are only possibilities, after all.

[The true problem with his fair skin is how terribly it shows the faintest hint of a flush.]

[blindluck]

True. Of course, in my experience, things like this only get worse. [He doesn't seem sarcastic or resentful of that; he states it as if it were a fact of life he can't do anything about. A fact of death now, maybe.] But as long as everyone keeps reaching for hope, I'm sure things will work out in the end.

[witnessvelama]

What is worse, here? [Celehar asks it thoughtfully, focusing in on the conversation to avoid thinking about - the possibilities for the next Crossings.]

That we do not pass on? Or that we do?

[blindluck]

I was thinking more about the Crossings than if we get where we're going or not. [Sorry, Celehar, Nagito is doing the opposite of avoiding thinking about those.] It can't just be that we'll only hear things every time, right? There are a lot of types of memories that have nothing to do with voices.

[witnessvelama]

I suppose not. [Celehar agrees reluctantly, following Nagito back down the path of the Crossings.] But other senses are not so easily overheard. Touch, taste - what the memory invokes in each must be different.

[blindluck]

Not as easy, but not impossible, either! There's technology in my world that would make it possible. And then there's sight, which is pretty straightforward, I think. [He sounds enthusiastic; it's hard to tell if it's for the subject matter or the discussion more abstractly.]

[witnessvelama]

[Nagito might become more enthused, but Celehar is only becoming more disquieted, however much he might try not to show it, with his sober expression and still body language.]

Make it possible to - share sensations?

[blindluck]

It's probably easier to understand if you think of it more like recreating the same sensations in two different people. It's easier to trick the brain than you might think! [Which is a vague description, but Nagito is pretty sure explaining the level of virtual reality his world has would take forever. Anyway, he has only a layman's understanding of it himself.]

[witnessvelama]

I have not heard of such a maz, but in a place like this, perhaps the working is mere truth, rather than effort.

[Acceptance, if reluctant, finally settles grimly over Celehar. He brings up a hand to rub at his face, abruptly as tired as Nagito must have been before interrupted from his rest.]

[blindluck]

[Nagito is pretty familiar with people conversing him being suddenly very tired.] Anyway, no matter what happens, I think it would be a good idea to get together and plan things out before the next Crossing. Even if we can only plan it out a little bit, things were a little chaotic last time!

[Maybe this conversation had a point beyond philosophical death debates.]

[witnessvelama]

What is it, that you would see coordinated?

[Not that Celehar can disagree that it was chaotic - even with his memories of the crossing hazy, he thinks he can remember the Ferryman's lantern nearly escaping him, were it not for the efforts of Frieda and Need.] Unless you wish to see all follow the Ferryman's toll - or none.

[blindluck]

Ah, well, someone else would probably be better at planning out the specifics... [He doesn't want to presume to know what's best for everybody (except when it comes to hope).] But something like--knowing who is choosing which side, what sort of memory they'll be giving up, things about it that they might want to prepare people for... Maybe a buddy system? Ahaha, no, that's way too cheesy, isn't it?

[witnessvelama]

[Despite Nagito laughing that last point off, Celehar does nod, thoughtfully, his attention sliding away into the middle distance as he considers it.]

Some resolution, to look after each other... as best can be done, in those circumstances.

[He doesn't want to admit to how close he came to falling behind, but there's no denying that it would have happened, if not for the help of others.]

[blindluck]

[Nagito's smile perks up a little at the edges when he isn't immediately told the friendship stuff is stupid. He's usually told that it's stupid.] At the very least, keeping a headcount would be a good idea! Of course, if it's going to be dark every time, we'll have to work around that...

[witnessvelama]

[There are worse suggestions out there than the buddy system - Practicality and good sense often call for some form of backup, after all. Celehar is used to working on his lonesome, picking up for himself - but as his bruised pride shows, he has been reckless here.]

We know even less whether this will change. Othalo Need and Mer Soo Won distributed flowers, during the Crossing, but I have seen no such plants here to draw upon for the next.

[blindluck]

Ah, yes, those were really quite useful! [Nagito hadn't taken any himself, though, because that would have been depriving the others.] But this time... Well, I don't think everyone will hold hands. Maybe a rope?

[witnessvelama]

Perhaps that would be most practical - so long as there are no obstacles for it to snag on, in this circumstance. Or no cause for anyone to fall.

[He looks pensive at that - there was nothing to trip on during the water crossing, but that didn't stop him from doing so, when the fuzzy recollection of that voice became too much. He remembers the emotion of it dragging him down, even if the feeling is nothing more than a faint echo in him now.]

[blindluck]

Ah, well--things do get kind of dramatic during the Crossings... [Falling over seems extremely possible, even ignoring that their current options for things to walk on are sand and a layer of salt over top of mud. And Nagito does remember that he himself did kind of a lot of running around. (All his worst memories of the last Crossing are ones he still has; the memory that set him off wasn't his. Almost all of his memories of the Crossing, therefore, are very sharp in his mind. This is why he's especially worried, even if he won't say it directly.)] Maybe if we can convince Need-san to carry the end of the rope she can keep us all in line!

[He doesn't actually mean to take a dig at Celehar for having Need carry him; actually, he thinks that was very impressive of Need.]

[witnessvelama]

[He might never live that one down - the young have such long memories for these things, sometimes longer even than courtiers or journalists.

Celehar might resign himself to it, but...]

Physical strength is one part of it, but she is not infallible, either. None of us are.

[He caught tears in her eyes, once, and the discussion of it renders him thoughtful.]

All the more reason to provide support for one another, I must suppose.

[blindluck]

I suppose so. Of course, that's not something someone like me is any good at, but I don't mind carrying supplies! [He does want to be useful, in his own way. He has very specific ideas of what he's capable of, though.] But with people like Naegi-sama and Need-san here I'm sure you'll all be fine.

[witnessvelama]

Despite my role, it was never my strong suit. But... Naegi-san [He fumbles, a bit, with the pronunciation of the unfamiliar term of address,] ought not do it alone.

[The number of times he's too-bluntly announced a death... there's a reason, he thinks, that Witnesses have the reputation they do.]

[blindluck]

[Nagito nods encouragingly at Celehar's attempt at Japanese suffixes.] He could do it on his own if he had to; he's very talented! But everyone should be willing to help him, too, I think!

[Talking about Makoto makes him even more enthusiastic than he was. There's definitely something like hero worship there.]

[witnessvelama]

What makes you say that? I... did not see how he handled the trials of the Crossing.

[Celehar frowns. In his opinion - well, before the Crossing he had thought himself better prepared for it, but he's not so sure he's infallible any more, and he judges an assertion like this to be a similar degree of overconfidence.]