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thecrossinglogs2025-04-19 09:44 am
thecrossingmods) wrote in thecrossinglogs2025-04-19 09:44 am
THE CROSSING #2
THE CROSSING #2
It's that time again.
For more detail on the particulars of the event, be sure to refer to our info and planning post!
For more detail on the particulars of the event, be sure to refer to our info and planning post!
always keep moving
— CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON
The Desert is sprawling. If you've ever gotten turned around in the rolling dunes, it may have once felt endless. But in the weeks and days before the descent of The Crossing, something appears on the horizon: first a dark smudge of storm clouds, not unlike the others that have rolled through before, then growing — wider, darker, and more threatening.
You feel it, too. For some of you the feeling is new; for others it's a reminder of a trial you've been through before. It's a weight in your body, a solidity of your self, a vulnerability to whatever is approaching.
The storm overtakes the oasis. As the first drops of rain begin to fall, The Ferryman speaks in your mind.
It's time. Those who are prepared to pay the toll are instructed to gather on the bank of The River. As for the rest of you... we hope you have a plan.
taking refuge
— THE RIVER OF MUD
The storm hits hard and fast. Even as you gather around The Ferryman, the rain grows from spitting droplets to a desert monsoon. The Ferryman's protection only goes so far: even if you're promised safety from danger, you'll still have to cope with the cold, the wind, and the water.
As before, The Lantern's Light grows dark. As before, The Ferryman gathers memories one by one, consolidated into a mote of light in their palm that becomes the new center point for the growing temporary bubble of safety. But this time— what it was too dark to notice in the Cavern before— you realize that The Ferryman themselves is changing, too. Their form fades as the light in their hands grows, becoming as fuzzy and insubstantial as mist... not unlike the wraiths, outside of The Crossing.
The sparkling white salt flat before you begins to melt and grow murky, exposing the sticky, grasping mud beneath. The Ferryman glides out over the roiling muck of The River, and so do you, your steps as light as if there were still a crust of salt to separate you from the mud before.
You must keep moving, though. Linger too long, and you'll start to sink... and the mud might not let go, this time.
— A HAVEN FROM THE WANTS AND ILLS OF LIFE
The journey is arduous, and the storm is unrelenting. The Ferryman, unfamiliar as they might be in this form, leads confidently through the blur of lightning, wind, and rain. As before, the mote of light created from your memories follows in their footsteps, illuminating the path to follow along the wide expanse of The River.
Even with The Ferryman's protection, it is exhausting work. It's as mentally taxing as it is physically draining. As such, when the path forward begins to shudder and shift, it may come as a reprieve. The wall of wind and rain finally breaks, the Desert around you replaced by... somewhere else. A place you may recognize, or may not.
Whatever stress or fear you may have been feeling from your journey wanes, replaced by feelings of calm, peace, or joy. If the place you are in is unfamiliar, the feelings are muted, as if they don't quite belong to you... but surely this is better than returning to the monsoon? Perhaps you can rest a while. Play a game, recover in shelter, or take a meditative walk through a maze. What's a few minutes, anyway? Time hardly means anything anymore.
Just don't forget: if you linger too long in any one place, the mud of The River will start to suck you down. It's best to stay alert— and to keep an eye on those traveling with you, as well.
storm chasers
— SWEPT AWAY
The Desert isn't designed to weather a storm like this one. Beyond the pounding rain and cracking lightning, those of you who have decided to travel without The Ferryman must also navigate the environment itself. Flash floods sweep through lower-lying places in the dunes, where the sand isn't able to absorb water quickly enough. Creatures that may have been docile before are now panicked, and might impede your progress, or even lash out themselves.
And, of course, there are the wraiths.
They're easier to spot this time around, across the rolling dunes. It's easier to make out just how much they've changed as well: the claws, the teeth, the exaggerated proportions... and the unmistakable pain and fury in every movement, in every shriek and wail.
You are vulnerable to any and all injury during this time, whether from the wraiths, the wildlife, or the elements. As long as you follow your gut, you'll know where to go — but we hope you have a strategy, all the same.
— AN EYE IN THE STORM
At least in the Cavern, you had cover. Nooks and crannies, branching tunnels, rocky outcroppings... But out here, beneath the wide-open sky of the Desert, there's very little in terms of shelter. The odd plateau, or cave entrance, or inexplicable feature might grant you some reprieve, but there's always more sand to cross in-between.
On occasion, however, you may spot a strange sort of wraith watching you at a distance. Some of you may even recognize it: an eerie, dissembling creature that some have dubbed the Smart Wraith. Its form, like the others, has solidified into something grotesque and painful, as if its body has been plucked like clay by a particularly spiteful child. Unlike the others, though, it does not attack, or even approach. It simply watches, as it always have.
If you have the presence of mind to notice, however, you may find that there are occasional reprieves from wraith attacks, especially across longer stretches of dunes. They're brief, but often crucially timed (such as when someone is significantly injured, or when a flood has just rolled through), and always correspond to a moment when The Wraith can be found watching from some far-flung vantage point.
It's odd, certainly. But do you have the luxury of looking a gift horse in the mouth?
stormbreak
— CLEARING SKIES
Eventually, the storm calms. Your body lightens. The atmosphere realigns.
The Crossing ends.
The thick, sucking mud of The River has become shallow and waterlogged. It's easy to wade through now, if a touch... unpleasant. Fibrous plants and reeds line the sloped banks, inexplicably dotted with bright orange flowers. Light is low, though the sky has cleared, as if wherever you are now lingers in perpetual dusk.
If you were traveling with The Ferryman, the mirages that dogged your journey finally fade and stay gone. If you were traveling on your own, any wounds you sustained heal rapidly on their own. As before, the healing is natural, but on fast-forward, and thus may not always resolve perfectly.
For both groups, memories bleed away from you - perhaps literally, perhaps not. Anything you found in the Desert, unless given to you by The Ferryman, is gone from your pockets.
When you look again, The Ferryman appears just the same as they were before The Crossing began. Let's take a break, they say. It's been a long journey.
It certainly has.
Image credits: 1, 2 + OMORI'S STORY, and stock imagery unless otherwise noted
The Desert is sprawling. If you've ever gotten turned around in the rolling dunes, it may have once felt endless. But in the weeks and days before the descent of The Crossing, something appears on the horizon: first a dark smudge of storm clouds, not unlike the others that have rolled through before, then growing — wider, darker, and more threatening.
You feel it, too. For some of you the feeling is new; for others it's a reminder of a trial you've been through before. It's a weight in your body, a solidity of your self, a vulnerability to whatever is approaching.
The storm overtakes the oasis. As the first drops of rain begin to fall, The Ferryman speaks in your mind.
It's time. Those who are prepared to pay the toll are instructed to gather on the bank of The River. As for the rest of you... we hope you have a plan.
taking refuge
The storm hits hard and fast. Even as you gather around The Ferryman, the rain grows from spitting droplets to a desert monsoon. The Ferryman's protection only goes so far: even if you're promised safety from danger, you'll still have to cope with the cold, the wind, and the water.
As before, The Lantern's Light grows dark. As before, The Ferryman gathers memories one by one, consolidated into a mote of light in their palm that becomes the new center point for the growing temporary bubble of safety. But this time— what it was too dark to notice in the Cavern before— you realize that The Ferryman themselves is changing, too. Their form fades as the light in their hands grows, becoming as fuzzy and insubstantial as mist... not unlike the wraiths, outside of The Crossing.
The sparkling white salt flat before you begins to melt and grow murky, exposing the sticky, grasping mud beneath. The Ferryman glides out over the roiling muck of The River, and so do you, your steps as light as if there were still a crust of salt to separate you from the mud before.
You must keep moving, though. Linger too long, and you'll start to sink... and the mud might not let go, this time.
— A HAVEN FROM THE WANTS AND ILLS OF LIFE
The journey is arduous, and the storm is unrelenting. The Ferryman, unfamiliar as they might be in this form, leads confidently through the blur of lightning, wind, and rain. As before, the mote of light created from your memories follows in their footsteps, illuminating the path to follow along the wide expanse of The River.
Even with The Ferryman's protection, it is exhausting work. It's as mentally taxing as it is physically draining. As such, when the path forward begins to shudder and shift, it may come as a reprieve. The wall of wind and rain finally breaks, the Desert around you replaced by... somewhere else. A place you may recognize, or may not.
Whatever stress or fear you may have been feeling from your journey wanes, replaced by feelings of calm, peace, or joy. If the place you are in is unfamiliar, the feelings are muted, as if they don't quite belong to you... but surely this is better than returning to the monsoon? Perhaps you can rest a while. Play a game, recover in shelter, or take a meditative walk through a maze. What's a few minutes, anyway? Time hardly means anything anymore.
Just don't forget: if you linger too long in any one place, the mud of The River will start to suck you down. It's best to stay alert— and to keep an eye on those traveling with you, as well.
storm chasers
The Desert isn't designed to weather a storm like this one. Beyond the pounding rain and cracking lightning, those of you who have decided to travel without The Ferryman must also navigate the environment itself. Flash floods sweep through lower-lying places in the dunes, where the sand isn't able to absorb water quickly enough. Creatures that may have been docile before are now panicked, and might impede your progress, or even lash out themselves.
And, of course, there are the wraiths.
They're easier to spot this time around, across the rolling dunes. It's easier to make out just how much they've changed as well: the claws, the teeth, the exaggerated proportions... and the unmistakable pain and fury in every movement, in every shriek and wail.
You are vulnerable to any and all injury during this time, whether from the wraiths, the wildlife, or the elements. As long as you follow your gut, you'll know where to go — but we hope you have a strategy, all the same.
— AN EYE IN THE STORM
At least in the Cavern, you had cover. Nooks and crannies, branching tunnels, rocky outcroppings... But out here, beneath the wide-open sky of the Desert, there's very little in terms of shelter. The odd plateau, or cave entrance, or inexplicable feature might grant you some reprieve, but there's always more sand to cross in-between.
On occasion, however, you may spot a strange sort of wraith watching you at a distance. Some of you may even recognize it: an eerie, dissembling creature that some have dubbed the Smart Wraith. Its form, like the others, has solidified into something grotesque and painful, as if its body has been plucked like clay by a particularly spiteful child. Unlike the others, though, it does not attack, or even approach. It simply watches, as it always have.
If you have the presence of mind to notice, however, you may find that there are occasional reprieves from wraith attacks, especially across longer stretches of dunes. They're brief, but often crucially timed (such as when someone is significantly injured, or when a flood has just rolled through), and always correspond to a moment when The Wraith can be found watching from some far-flung vantage point.
It's odd, certainly. But do you have the luxury of looking a gift horse in the mouth?
stormbreak
Eventually, the storm calms. Your body lightens. The atmosphere realigns.
The Crossing ends.
The thick, sucking mud of The River has become shallow and waterlogged. It's easy to wade through now, if a touch... unpleasant. Fibrous plants and reeds line the sloped banks, inexplicably dotted with bright orange flowers. Light is low, though the sky has cleared, as if wherever you are now lingers in perpetual dusk.
If you were traveling with The Ferryman, the mirages that dogged your journey finally fade and stay gone. If you were traveling on your own, any wounds you sustained heal rapidly on their own. As before, the healing is natural, but on fast-forward, and thus may not always resolve perfectly.
For both groups, memories bleed away from you - perhaps literally, perhaps not. Anything you found in the Desert, unless given to you by The Ferryman, is gone from your pockets.
When you look again, The Ferryman appears just the same as they were before The Crossing began. Let's take a break, they say. It's been a long journey.
It certainly has.
Image credits: 1, 2 + OMORI'S STORY, and stock imagery unless otherwise noted
The River of Mud
Are you alright, Sunny? If you'd like me to carry your backpack for a while, let me know.
[If he gets tired, she won't be able to carry him this time - their combined weight would make moving through the mud all the harder.]
no subject
He nods in agreement, though… his backpack isn’t too cumbersome right now. In fact, the weight is almost comforting (and he was glad that it was waterproof. Really. At least his notebook and hat and Makoto sticker would all be protected alongside those documents from the Cavern).]
Am… ok… for now. Are you…?
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Don't worry about me! It'll take more than this to make me falter. Once, I got caught in a thunderstorm like this with my brother after we'd gone collect mushrooms - we were still small, then -, and the ground turned terribly slippery, but we still made it home!
[For them, little as they were, that seemed like the end of the world... but in reality, it likely wasn't half as bad as the tempest they're facing right now, and she withholds the part of the story where they hid in a hollow tree and let the worst of it pass - after all, they're unlikely to encounter such shelter here.]
Frieda trying to be so strong T.T <3
They’ll make it through this too. Hopefully.
A boom of thunder has Sunny flinching and covering his ears, not necessarily stopping in his trek, but certainly slowing. What if the lightning decided to try hitting them…?]
It's what big sisters do! ♡
Sunny, it's alright!
[If lightning strikes here, it'll strike me - I'm taller than you! But of course, that'd be the opposite of comforting to him, so she doesn't say it out loud, instead offering a hand. It'll be impractical, but if it gives him confidence to move on, so be it - they can always let go of each other again to improve their balance as they struggle through the mud.]
She’s a great big sis! Also, so glad she didn’t say ‘the lightning will hit me first’ ROFL
He just makes Frieda’s voice out above the clap of thunder, unconsciously edging closer to her.
Thankfully, she didn’t mention that taller people would be struck by lightning first. He would be worried about a whole bunch of people then, and his imagination would have panicked and ran around with that mental image.Sunny hesitates only a moment before reaching out with his fingertips to grasp her hand. It steadies him - both inwardly and while walking over the uncertain terrain. This also means that, if one would fall, then so would the other… but Sunny feels comfort regardless.]
She knows diplomacy! 🤭
[How can one be harder than the other? If anything, mud is at least semi-solid! But she'll have to wait until later to raise that gripe with their guardian. She doubts that she'd be able to catch up to the faint glow in the distance - not to mention that she's have to leave Sunny behind, and that's not an option.
To distract him from the thunder and lightning (and hoping that there'll be no more, unlikely as that seems), she asks, leaning down close to his ear to not have to shout:]
Where do you think we'll end up this time?
[Need raised the question on their message network, and people - Sunny included - shared their ideas, but she wonders what he wishes the most for right now. Somewhere warm and dry, that's for sure.]
no subject
Sunny looked down at their feet, encased in the mud and the torrential downpour that was driving almost needle-like holes into the mush.
Maybe…] …it was… calm…?
[There wasn’t a storm in the Cavern. Not even an errant breeze had blown through. It had been… eerily still. Maybe that was why…? Or maybe the storm was a part of their trial, something meant to drive them beyond the memories.
There had been an encroaching darkness that had chased them in the Cavern too, but not as rushed as this felt…
Frieda’s question had his thoughts trailing to something nicer.]
Mmmm… somewhere… warm… [Not like the desert, but it would be nice to be in a pleasant clime. Maybe a beach, like Nagito had suggested, or in a field of fluffy sheep. It would be really not great if they went from a storm to a frozen landscape…] What about… you…?
no subject
Biomes usually adjacent to deserts could be savannahs, mountains, or the sea - for the most part, those would still be quite warm!
[Of course, there's no guarantee that their journey will follow the usual landscape neighbourhoods. While she still ponders what area she'd prefer, her next step makes her leg sink much deeper into the mud than she expected, leaving her buried up to the knee, which makes her lose her balance and emit a startled little cry. Letting go of Sunny's hand, she tries to brace herself against the ground with both hands to pull her leg free, but they sink in too. Not good.]
Nnn... Sunny, keep moving! If you stand in one place, you'll sink. I need just a moment!
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Just because a forest could lead into outer space in Headspace doesn’t mean that the places here weren’t connected.
A Cavern leads to a Desert leads to…?
Before he can get too far down that train of thought, Fried’s cry startles him back to the present.]
…!
[She’s sinking! Despite her protest, Sunny makes his way back to her as quickly as he can, picking up his feet every so often so that the mud relinquishes its hold. He takes hold of her arm and tugs but… Sunny isn’t strong. He’s weak and unable to help and…]
H-help…! [Would anyone even be able to hear his cry over the storm? Would anyone be able to see Frieda was struggling in the mud, as much as the sheets of rain were obscuring their vision?]
no subject
Let go of me, alright?
[Once he does, she half-lies down on the mud on her behind and lower arms, trying to spread her weight, and awkwardly shuffles backwards, gradually pulling the stuck leg free. When the mud releases it with a squelching sound, her sandal is missing. She briefly fishes for it in the hole, sticking her entire arm in, but it doesn't reach as far as her leg did, so she gives up.]
Alright, let's--
[Another loud rumble of thunder, followed by a lightning flash that briefly illuminates the dark clouds, startles even her. She still remembers all too wel the horror on the people's faces throughout history when they saw the upwards-striking lightning that signifies a titan transformation. Of course, what they're seeing and hearing is just the weather, but even with her titan powers gone, the echo of those memories still remains.]
Let's make haste!
no subject
The rumble of thunder followed by that brilliant yet terrifying flash has him almost ducking, like he’s afraid it will come for him this time.]
…!
[He just barely remembers to pick up his feet, almost a hop, in order to keep the mud at bay. The longer he does that though, the more he can feel his energy fading and…]
G-going… [The teen makes as much haste as he can, the mud pulling at his legs, pooling into the crevices in his shoes with a cold squishing. He doesn’t have to be told twice to get moving, especially now that Frieda is free.]
Haven Intermission!
But just as the dread grips her, just as she imagines Mari and Kel's faces if she fails them and loses their Sunny in this black storm, the thick rain parts like a veil, and they both step into... a magical place. Her eyes are wide as she looks around, awestruck. Everything is colourful, bright and friendly - even the giant cat creature emanates a sense of friendliness. There's gentle music playing, too, and Frieda stands still, trying to compute where they are.]
This is...
[But she can't find a suitable word. It's like a scene from a dream.]
Intermission! \o/
It would be better for him alone to let go.
Thankfully, it didn’t come to that.
As the rain suddenly stopped, like someone had hit the pause button on an overactive car wash, the mud beneath his feet gave way to a starkly familiar, if cat-shaped hole-filled flooring.
In fact, when Sunny takes the room in, there is almost an instant calming effect.]
Oh… [Even if he has no idea why, he’s in Headspace. As himself. A look at his clothing, the same and decidedly not monotone (even though his skin is paler due to the storm’s chill), confirms that.]
no subject
After a moment, she tentatively approaches the tree that seems to be growing right out of the floor (holding up her wet dress and robe bunched up at knee height in a futile attempt to not drip muddy water all over the place, leaving her sole sandal behind) - though halfway there, she gets distracted by what looks like a small shrine near it, just a framed picture flanked by burning candles. Stepping up to it, she recognises Mari, and she's all but speechless.]
This can't be a painting..!
[It's incredibly life-like!]
no subject
But since this place came right from his dreams, crafted into a safe haven… it’s like a homecoming, in a way. (And a nice one at that. He would honestly feel worse if they had showed up at his house in Faraway Town instead.)]
It’s… a tree… [He explains, placing one hand against the bark. Yet, to someone who isn’t used to Headspace, there is a strange quality to it, like the tree exists but isn’t real (which wouldn’t be inaccurate). To call it a painting wouldn’t be the worst analogy.]
no subject
[With care, she picks up the framed picture of Mari that drew her attention away from the tree, holding it in both hands.]
This is Mari...
[Well, that much is obvious - but if an image of Mari is enshrined here, then this must be Sunny's safe space. She doesn't know what she imagined his word to be like, but... this wasn't it!]
...
Is this your home, Sunny?
Me totally missing the picture part last time and Sunny just being like ‘a tree’ is on brand XD
Sunny makes his way over towards Frieda, seeing how she carefully holds the portrait.
A picture of someone special…
He stares at it, a mixture of feelings beneath the surface. And then turns back to the room.]
Not… my actual… room…
[Is what he says in response. Sure, it was where he (mentally) had spent the past four years, but…
Where exactly was ‘home’? It wasn’t back in Faraway - as much as he had memories and friends there, he would have been leaving soon. And the city definitely wasn’t it, as much as his mother wished it would become such.
Headspace… was maybe the closest thing he had? But it didn’t quite feel like ‘home’ either. It was more… an escape. A pleasant place where things couldn’t go wrong.
He knew that. (And Sunny might be spacing out a bit thinking through all of this.)]
I thought it checked out since she veered off the tree track at the last moment! 🤭
Is it a dream, then?
[That was her first impression, and it remains the best way in which she can make sense of it.]
It’s perfect <3
As she turns to face him, he nods - hesitant, embarrassed, shy.]
It’s… safe… [He says by way of explanation, as if that wouldn’t be obvious. They all had to give up someplace that was a safe haven.] No… monsters… or… scary things… here.
[So she was free to relax, dry off, and take a rest, if wanted. Nothing really to eat (the toaster was empty) except for a sole bean on a plate.]
♡
Who's this?
no subject
Then, his gaze follows where Frieda is pointing… straight up to the yellow cat.]
The Favorite.
[The name might seem strange - though introducing it as Big Yellow Cat might have sounded even more on point - but… that’s what the coral had said.
The last and favorite, the Big Yellow Cat.]
He keeps watch. [A full sentence, that, though if he’s simply repeating something he heard or without his characteristic fragmented speech has yet to be seen.
Indeed, if Frieda watches closely, as they walk through the room, the cat’s eyes seem to follow Sunny no matter where he is. Totally normal.]
no subject
Her glance wanders from the big yellow cat to the tree, so out of place in this indoor location, then towards the TV. She approaches it and watches the looping scene, fascinated.]
What's this? Who are these people?
[If it's a live-action movie, it'll baffle her equally much as the photo of Mari.]
no subject
It was strange - talking about something that meant so much to him yet also having someone being able to see it. The latter normally wasn’t possible.]
It’s a… television. [At her, presumably, questioning look, he continues. (And it is live action!)] The screen- [He points to the square that has the moving images.] -plays cartoons and movies. Stuff to watch… this one… they’re looking… for a friend…
[As soon as the words leave his mouth, Sunny’s heart skips a beat. Wait, wasn’t that was what he was supposed to be doing? Looking for Basil-
He shakes his head.]
no subject
What are their names?
[Not knowing anything about TVs besides what he just said, she assumes that every story it shows is meaningful.]
LOL not me having to deep dive because I actually haven’t seen this movie
Oh no... but now we know!!
CW: brief mention of movie child death (Now we know! ^^)
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Me making things up, here we go~
♡
I’m awful but…
RIP Sunny... he keeps going through it!
As Frieda likes to think often, Sunny’s always going through it XD ><‘
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Don’t worry Frieda, I was shocked by that revelation too XD
Anybody would be!
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(Wanting to wrap here or with yours?)