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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
Kel uses *charm*. Everyone turns away. :P
or at least it's how he feelsPoker was fun! Even if Kel often lost- at least that was not on purpose like the countless times he lost at rock paper and scissor by pretending he was dumb and only used rock
even if that was something he did mostly with Sunny. God, he didn't expect the other to turn into a Pet Rock champion of all things..]Take your time. If we choose to leave and we're a bit behind, I can really piggyback us back to them. I'm super fast, you know? Not to mention I don't know how long this place will... survive.
[The storm was there, after all. Kel didn't linger in hobbeez long enough to worry about it, he had other priorities and no matter how much his heart bled, he moved forward. but this place? Not only it seemed some levels of underground, but it also... only meant something to Sunny, not him.]
You know that no matter what I got your back, right?
[Big words for someone who already failed the other so deeply. Kel convinced himself the reason sunny... jumped? it was because he wasn't really mentally there. It was Kel who failed in being fast enough- yet he still pretended to be such a good friend. ]
KEL XD T.T
Kel made a point though - his friend was the fastest (even in Headspace), but… Sunny knew how difficult it was to catch up once they fell behind. That had happened in the Cavern, and that was without a storm, so…
The fact that Kel probably knew this and still wasn’t rushing him… it had Sunny realizing he had to make a choice. It was always a choice.
Here or there? His dreams or reality? No matter where and when Sunny went, everything was always split into two polar opposites.]…I know. [Kel did have his back. Always.
And Sunny would be very confused that Kel felt like he had ‘failed him.’ If anything, it was Sunny’s fault. The fact that he couldn’t save Basil, let alone himself, and Kel had somehow ended up here dragged with him… it had to be Sunny’s fault.He closed his eyes. A deep breath - ignoring the feeling of the mud creeping up to his calves now. He had to move, right? The Ferryman told them as much - no matter what, they couldn’t stay. They had to keep going forward.
It was such a foreign concept to Sunny, who spent the last four years doing exactly the opposite of that, but…
He took a step towards Kel.]
WHAT? It's true. Hero is the Handsome One, just ask Mari! TW: blood mention
with the half of his family that truly mattered gone from his mind, there was no one else to truly be concerned about. right? Aubrey and Basil- they had to make do back home, somehow.He still was there, waiting. He was never going to pull Sunny away by force unless needed to for his own safefy and the room was still... okay. Okay enough. He had to tell himself that even if he had not been fast enough when he had to grab Sunny, he could definitely carry the other at least until they caught up with the group.]
Good... [He sounded.. as warm as possible. He had to be reassuring. Someone back home was like that and it... was nice? And it felt right right now.
And sunny could say that but WHO missed all hints of something being wrong? Well, Kel perhaps didn't but he didn't realize how BAD things were. Who failed to see the Truth when Mari passed? Kel. Who failed to stay awake at Basil's place and didn't hear the fight start? Who could only hold Sunny's bloodied body while Aubrey held the unconscious Basil while ... Polly? Polly helped with the wound.
But no time to mope.Part of him wonders if by knocking at that door he didn't doom both his friends.
Kel let out a small breath when the other took his first step. Was this a 'walk with you' situation? WAs he accepting the piggyback ride? The first one was more probable, but he could probably lighten the mood up a bit more with the other so... he smiled brightly at Sunny before giving him his back, crouching down in the growing mud and patting his own back.
Come on, adventurer! Your noble steed awaits you!
no subject
Even now, surrounded by the encroaching mud and the destruction of his own dreams… Kel was there.
Still… Kel carrying him horseback was maybe a little much, the way Sunny’s eye lit up with a dusting of embarrassment, but…
He took a few more steps, standing beside his friend.]
Together? [The word was a mixture of fear and hope, light and dark, hesitance and bravery. He wanted to be brave. He wanted to see what was beyond here… so maybe that was the adventure.
The Ferryman had said that Sunny had to keep moving forward. Even if he didn’t like to… he had friends here to help him.]
no subject
if only Kel knewand Kel could have helped him without Sunny- after all it was his the idea of giving vance and kim the candies to find aubrey and then the photo album, it was kel who told sunny to check the hangour spot where Basil almost drowned- he would have handled things.Poorly but he had a chance.
And Basil wouldn't have been pushed to do what he did. Sunny wouldn't have chosen to... do what he did. Kel had been the catalyst for... everything that happened in those three days, from his point of view, and all because he couldn't just let things go.
But now they were dead and they had to try their best in that place, right? The teen kept a smile on his face, waiting for the other to hop in. Nothing? Oh, he moved.]
Oh...
[Well, he wanted to give the other a piggyback ride mostly to get them back into speed and have more control but- it was a good thing Sunny was taking initiative on his own, there. Walking side by side was nice, considering Sunny was one of his oldest and dearest friends.]
Wherever you go, I go, buddy.
[Like he did with Mari, Kel offered Sunny his arm to lean on, to truly march side by side. Yes, it was probably unpleasant and they were both wet but... they were going to 'survive' that one.]
These two T.T and Kel, think better of yourself!
Sunny would have moved away… lonely. To a scary new place. And something would have stayed with him.
As painful as remembering was, as much as it had torn him in two again, he… couldn’t give that up.
Even in this place, where memories could be traded, he felt the responsibility of keeping them this time.
None of that would have been possible without Kel taking the first step (err… knock).]
…thank… you… [It was small, barely above a whisper, but… Sunny was trying. Makoto said he should apologize when he got mad, and that also extended to thanking people who deserved it.
He… somewhat hesitantly accepts the arm. Mostly because then Kel could actually keep him moving forward… just in case Sunny had premonitions about turning back. He knew that - knew how easy it would be to just sit down and give in. But… everyone was waiting for them.
So the first step up the stairway lit up bright orange, a rainbow out of order but fun nonetheless, as the snake slithered out of the door ahead of them. Seems like they were all leaving.]
They both need a hug
All he knew was 'If I didn't knock at that door, Sunny would still be alive'.
Both of them would be alive.]
Don't mention it. We're in this together, right?
[And, like Mari, he pulls the arm closer so they're almost shoulder by shoulder. If Sunny was going to hesitate, he was going to march for both of them. The snake? The one that seemed more an obstacle than anything? It was already leaving before them.]
So... does mister snake have a name?
[the rain was going to hit them soon but that was just part of the journey, right?]
ALL the hugs (Also, not knowing about the Snake actually, so some vague theories)
Hard. It was so hard. So it was better to just ignore that a talk was needed, even if it would come eventually.
And, as Kel pulled his arm closer, Sunny was reminded that - yes, Kel would be there for him. He would pull him out of here if needed but… his support was there. It was real, and that was something he could cling to right now. (Literally, in this case.)
Focusing on the conversation made it easier to not turn back.]
No… just… Snake… [It gave allowance and jumped from high places (how could a snake jump? It didn’t matter). Aside from that, it was mostly… absent. Just like… that voice that he had given up, that memory that he could no longer recall. It bugged him, momentarily, for the first time since he had left it back in the Cavern, but… oh well.
Better to not have those feelings.]
(I think the snake is just a random thing remaining from the 2014 demo that was a lot more random?)
What was he even supposed to do? Jumpscare Sunny with a 'I figured out what happened with mari, more or less, and I'm actually still cool with you'? Even Kel had more tact than that.
For now, his determinations was on doing his best on keeping things 'calm'. As possible, at least.]
Just snake... Well, I like snakes! I think it was cool looking. And, hey, your imagination is still on top! That room was amazing!
[Behind them now, though. They were leaving. He was going to do hsi best to shield the other from the rain but the only important thing was: they were moving forward.]
I would have loved playing in a place like that when I was a kid. Even if there was a drastic lack of orange, but I guess every place can have its downsides.
[He DID see the big orange cat watching over it but... that didn't stop Kel from talking.]
Not my brain like “there must be a reason for everything!” XD
Well, despite the distinct lack of orange in Neighbor’s Room, there was one thing. Sunny’s gaze looked down and…]
Orange… key… [It lit up when they stepped on it. At least there was that.
He was pretty sure if Kel had an imaginary room, it would be entirely orange (and hey, Orange Joe might be there too, the drink and the mascot). It was just too much orange for Sunny’s eyes though.]
Heh. Who knows. Maybe Sunny likes snakes? They eat bunnies, after all, they must be a safe protector
And... yes. There's a single orange key. What rainbow staircase would it be without an orange step?]
I know. And it's the most beautiful one.
[He made sure to stomp on it extra hard, grinning and preparing for, well, the storm. He did raise one hand to help cover Sunny's head, even if it wasn't going to do much given their current circumstances and how the weather was 'outside'.]
My mental playroom? If I had one? It would be all orange and I'd spend my time in here playing with Hector, probably. Best boys deserve best playtimes, right?
It’s rock, paper, scissors but snake, bunny, tofu? XD
Like when they used to play in the rain as kids.
Truthfully, as bad as the downpour was, Sunny hated the thunder and lightning. At least when they were indoors he felt like there was a physical barrier that he could use to block it out. While outside? He was all the more aware of how close the danger was.
But… they had to keep moving.
His nod is agreeing - Hector and orange. That was Kel to a T.]
Sorry… couldn’t find… Hector… [Hector was lost in the desert, right? That was the immediate, knee-jerk thought that was prompted by his friend’s admission. Sunny hadn’t seen any sign of the rock, even when he had run into the Dunes. Hector must be elsewhere.]
But how does that work? Snake eats bunny, Bunny eats tofu, tofu triggers snake's allergy?
When thunders and rain started coming in, he merely pulled Sunny a bit closer and kept going. Gotta keep his friends safe, even against what felt more scary than an actual threat.]
Oh? Nah, it's okay. [There was only a single Hector in Kel's life and it was definitely not a rock. He didn't quite understand Sunny's words about 'finding' his dog, but hopefully whatever he was seeing when he... did what he did? It didn't involve their pet animals also running off that way. What was he supposed to say? Dismiss the whole thing? Embrace it? He tried to find a middle ground.] I know you tried your best, Sunny. At least we know he's safe, right? And now we're moving to safety too.
Tofu swallows all ^^ XD
For the sake of it, Sunny looked back… and there was no sign of that room. That room…?
He shook his head. Right, they had to keep moving forward. Even now, he could feel the mud sucking at his shoes, and it would be a shame to lose those.
One step at a time.]
Tried… [He repeated, though it was strange for Kel to move on from the subject of his beloved pet rock so easily. Sunny couldn’t help but think the rock was half-buried in the sand somewhere, a silent “help me” plastered with a speech bubble, but… maybe with the desert collapsing around them, it would push Hector onward too?
Maybe that’s what Kel thought.]
Safe…? [Wasn’t safety behind them? He got that feeling. Wherever they had been (the giant cat watching, though the colors of that place were starting to bleach outwards), that had been safe. Sunny stopped, momentarily confused.]
no subject
I know you're trying your best, buddy. I'm very proud of you!
[That was what he was talking about, right? Little did he know about the Other Hector, definitely not something the two ever talked about. Still, he could tell something was... wrong in Sunny's head. to craft such a strange yet familiar place-
Ah- he needed to remember all details for later. When he was carefully going to share everything he could.]
Mh? Oh, yeah, you're safe with me. Your
big brotherbest friend Kel is going to keep you safe![So much bravado, but one of the two had to sound confident, right? He did stop when the other did, waiting for Sunny to process his new reality without... that room.]
Safe is also with our friends. On the other side. We'll get there, promise.
no subject
…I…know… [That was one thing that Sunny could believe in. Kel would keep him safe. And… Sunny would try and keep Kel safe. It was a strange feeling, then, that welled inside of him.
Right… it wasn’t like anyone could become bread here. They were all dead, but that didn’t mean they were safe. And… Sunny didn’t want to lose them either.]
no subject
Come on buddy, the sooner we get to the other side the sooner you'll get a chance to warm up. I can give you tips in that sense, but I'm not sure if we can make a fire nor if we will have enough privacy for you to undress and let your clothes dry. That's a very important step in keeping heat- if we even generate heat, actually.
[rambling for the sake of rambling? Yes.]
no subject
Hugs could wait.]
Fire would… blow out… [Probably. Even if they did find some sort of ‘shelter’ in this storm, the wind was most likely too harsh to keep a measly flame going.]
no subject
Well, the storm will not last forever, right? Meaning I would at least be able to... warm up? With you? But only after we get somewhere safe and find... well, stuff to make a fire to begin with.
no subject
There really wasn’t any clues. Even going from the Cavern to the Desert… he hadn’t been able to tell until they reached a certain point, beyond the wall of angry voices. So… no guessing there.
There was also the possibility that there wouldn’t be supplies for a fire, and even if they found some, it would be near impossible to light if it was this wet out.
Sunny could only nod though. He was tired. They had just left someplace safe (? What place?) and now he found himself yearning for a nap already.]
no subject
He merely pushed them forward, knowing perfectly that was the only choice they had for now. Fire, shelter, something would come. It wasn't something they needed but a matter of comfort, at least... right?]
come on, buddy. If you need anything remember you can lean on me.