The Crossing Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thecrossingmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
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
They're personal. It would be like someone you've never met asking me to read them your diary.
no subject
I'm ashamed to say that I didn't think of it like this. We're desperate for any information about our journey, but I realise that this is our human nature struggling against what may well be the actual point of it.
[Aren't they all trying to "beat the game", in a way, or at least make it easier on themselves? She got caught up in it, too, despite her early acceptance of this being the last chapter of her existence.]
...
Nagito mentioned that you used to stay with the group you're guiding. What happened that led to you having to stand vigil at the river instead? Did somebody instruct you? If so, who is it that you answer to?
no subject
There's a few rungs of the ladder above me. But it wasn't anything like that. It was a decision I made.
The journey's a little bit different every time. After enough of them, that means it changes a lot. My role supporting you comes first, and my vigil is a better way to do that now. That's all.
no subject
Thank you for doing what is best for us.
[How it helps them that the Ferryman stays by the river, she has no idea, but she has to take the explanation at face value. She hesitates before bringing up the matter that is perhaps heaviest on her heart, much as she's been trying to push it out of her mind.]
...
G'raha and Katsuki are gone. I'm not sure if G'raha even attempted the Crossing. It was so dark... but I saw Katsuki on the other side, afterwards. He'd made his way on his own. But I haven't seen him since. Neither of them has written anything in the books in a long time, either.
["The books" includes the digital devices some of them have instead.]
Did something happen to them? Do you know where they are?
no subject
The journey isn't easy. Some souls aren't ready yet. They can get lost, out on The River.
[But, maybe, what Frieda is more concerned about:]
They're not in danger. It's still my role to watch out for them.
no subject
Nagito mentioned that besides the "lantern group", there were other groups, however those ones moved one already, as you shared with him. What does that say about the "lantern group"? Have they gotten lost, like G'raha and Katsuki?
[It annoys her a little how blatantly she's following up on Nagito's discoveries, but he seemed hellbent on delegating the further investigations rather than pursuing them himself... it aggravates her, like so many things about him, and that aggravation upsets her in turn - where have her serenity and patience gone?]
no subject
The rest have finished their journeys.
no subject
[That's... a frightening prospect. It's hard to imagine that her fellow souls sank into the mud, and she feels a jolt of guilt - did they not hear their cries for help, if that's truly what happened? But no, wait--]
You stand vigil. You'd have helped them, wouldn't you?
[Wouldn't you?]
no subject
Don't worry. It isn't the way that you're thinking.
You emerged from The River when you were ready to start your journey. If a soul isn't ready, The River keeps them until they are. If a soul gets lost, sometimes they lose their grounding point. Their resolve. They return to The River until they're ready to try again.
no subject
We were in pain, in the river... is that what they've gone back to?
no subject
[Just for the reassurance of clarity.]
The River is a transition point. Once you're ready to leave it, it won't let you stay. That's why it's painful for you.
[They glance away briefly, thinking.]
Maybe you can think of it like sleeping. You [they raise one palm to Frieda] are awake. The ones who have returned to The River are asleep. At the places in between [they spread both hands: one between themselves and The River, the other between themselves and Frieda] there's drowsiness, confusion, discomfort.
Does that help?
no subject
That helps a lot! That puts me at ease. If they're just sleeping, then... then that's alright.
[She says that as if she had any say in the matter if it weren't - but they're so few, doesn't everyone matter? Doesn't everyone need to be accounted for and taken care of? And, speaking of everyone...]
Ferryman, you put up with all our questions and requests - is there anything that we can do for you?
no subject
Thank you. You're very kind, Frieda. But chatting here with all of you is more than enough for me. It's nice to get to know you, now that you're coming back this way.
no subject
I'm glad you feel that way, despite...
[Her throat seems to close up, but she manages to keep speaking.]
Despite what I made out of my life. Even the others... half of them found out during the Crossing, and yet... they're such kind people.
[She struggles not to tear up. She still can't understand how they all can look past her sins, unfortunate as the circumstances were.]
no subject
[They don't reach out, letting her hold her own composure if that's what she prefers. But their tone is gentle.]
I'm glad you have each other. That's an important part of the journey, too.
no subject
I'm glad, too. If I hadn't met them, my... existence would have been poorer.
[She manages a small smile, but reflecting on her seemingly arbitrary company brings back that recurring wonderment:]
What is it that we have in common, that brought us together? The intensity of our regrets? Or is it just chance which group the souls end up in?
[There's an unspoken assumption in her words about millions of groups and thousands of Ferrymen.]
no subject
As for why here, and now, and you... [The Ferryman gestures behind them, to The River.] I don't know. That all depends on The River.
no subject
And here, I thought I was ready to let go...
[She smiles faintly. She doesn't remember how she died, not anymore, but knowing of the cruelty of her world and the fleetingness of its beauty, shouldn't it have been easier to leave it behind?
Having asked the Ferryman many questions, one still remains on her mind after her talk with Need when they first arrived in the desert. She conemplatively lifts a hand up towards the sun - it looks just a regular, living person's.]
Do you know what we're made of? Our bodies?
[This isn't as important to her as understanding the nature of the wraiths and their journey and what happened to their fellow souls, but the idle curiosity is there.]
no subject
Your body is your soul. There's no difference, here.
no subject
Does that mean that our appearance will change along with our perception of ourselves?
[Once they completely accept their deaths and forget everything about the lives they left behind, will their shapes and faces remain? It feels to her like that wouldn't make sense. Is the wraith state the final stage, or is it something else?]