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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
no subject
THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR!!
IT'S GOING NOSTALGICALLY AND WET OVER HERE.
NOT BECAUSE OF CRYING OR ANYTHING!!!!
IT'S JUST RAINING A LOT.
[Okay, maybe a few tears. But who can really tell the difference between them and the rain, except when people are taking refuge in these odd memory rooms and getting emotional about something or another?]
no subject
[True, they probably didn’t need to deal with the Wraiths, but the fact that their ‘protection’ only extended so far… meant there was a limit.
Hanako, likewise, is less apt to focus on the emotional parts of this Crossing too. While there might be the occasional screaming or terror on this side, he wasn’t one to understand tears. Not anymore. It just came with the detachment of being an apparition.]
no subject
WE'RE ALL VERY MUCH EXPERIENCING WATER-TYPE ELEMENTS.
AND WIND.
['From danger' was the promise he remembers getting. Much more limited. The kind of limitation to, occasionally, make a skeleton secondguess his choices today.
...But it certainly was something, to go by the warnings he's heard - and overheard today - about the more irritable wraiths during the crossing.]
BUT WALKING ON WATER IS NEW AND FUN.
FLOODS ARE BARELY TRIPPING HAZARDS!
no subject
Hmm…]
Interesting that you would be able to do that~! Is it walking over all water, or just where the River is?
[Hanako has to take a momentary break from typing, as he steps in another sloughy puddle that quickly turns into a small swirl that threatens to pull him downstream. Floating would have been so much easier…]
no subject
I'M SORRY TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW.
IT DIDN'T START WORKING UNTIL WE GOT UNDERWAY,
AND I DIDN'T THINK TO GO BACK TO THE OASIS TO CHECK!!
[Maybe he could try wandering up a tributary along the river if they see any along the way, or just race up the bank when the next flood pours in. If he gives a heads up to the others, they can keep tabs on him and pull him out if he gets mudded for the trouble.
...But probably he won't bother, and he'll just lie to Hanako about it if the topic comes up again later. The visits to memory places did have him emotional enough for some crying, even if he kept up an upbeat conversational tone to the others' faces.]
no subject
[Really, Hanako himself kept things pretty flexible, so whenever he gave orders… unless he was serious, it wasn’t stringent.
Still, such a shame to have missed an opportunity.]
I’d be wary about wandering off too far; the weather really is bad the further you veer.
[It’s the most honest he’s being about the situation. Was it concern? Maybe, maybe not. It sure would be a hassle having to find a replacement for the skeleton if he got lost in this storm though!]
no subject
But, then, it's not exactly like there's a lot of high-urgency situations going on. The therapy disappearing act and the crossing so far have been it, in... it's hard to gauge with real confidence, but he's pretty sure several weeks, if not a couple months. Death is slow and a little boring.]
AS I SUSPECTED IT WOULD BE...
WELL, THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T INVESTIGATE PROPERLY EARLIER!
BUT IF I GET A GOOD CHANCE,
I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT I DO OR DON'T FIND.
[The question of whether to be fretting aside, a project to occupy some of his mind is helping with the journey! It's something to think about that isn't fears or regrets, for one.]
no subject
[A common trope in his leadership of course! The skeleton might catch on after a while, but that was fine - after all, he could claim in this situation that there wasn’t much Hanako himself could do on the investigating part (at least, for those that went with the Ferryman).
Likewise, delegating, thinking through steps beyond their current moment, about what they could learn… it was helping keep Hanako’s mind (somewhat) off of their current stressors.
(There was always some - floating in the background - due to Yashiro being present, but from what he could tell so far, his clumsy assistant had actually been well behaved~)]
no subject
[There's a slight delay in his response, as though he types, deletes, and replaces a word or two - but probably not a notable one. After all, there's inclement weather and things for everyone to deal with, to varying degrees.]
IF ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COME TO MIND,
LET ME KNOW!
I PROMISE TO AT LEAST THINK OF INVESTIGATING THEM.
[Further topics for pondering are welcome, after all. As for the actual investigating... it depends on opportunity, and interest, and risk. Dangerous puzzles for the sake of history and culture were one thing, but he doesn't plan on taking other risks - not when he decided on the 'safe' route with the toll.]
no subject
Out of curiosity… are there any of the local wildlife near you? Or have you seen any of them?
[The thought strikes Hanako as he notices the tiny suncat kitten Yashiro is stubbornly carrying around.]
as I go: do I really want to ask the mod about whether there's animals by the river now
BUT, I'M IN A BREAK PLACE,
AND I DON'T THINK THEY CAN WALK ON THE MUD TO GET HERE.
I DID SEE SOME CREATURES FLEEING ERRATICALLY BEFORE!
HOPE THEY MAKE IT BACK TO THOSE CLIFFS.
lol oh no XD
[That, at least, was new to him. There were small outcroppings, places where the storm seemed to be not as perilous, that their group had been finding.]
You do bring up a good point, too. I wonder what happens to these places once we pass through.
sometimes I'm Nervous about making things up! T_T
MORE LIKE A MEMORY OF A ROOM.
[The awareness of it being a toll, and the question of just what the toll will take from them for having given it up, hangs over him in a way he can choose to ignore but can't entirely banish, after all.]
SOMETHING TO TRY ASKING THE FERRYMAN!
ASSUMING THAT NOBODY HAS ALREADY ASKED AND JUST GOTTEN MYSTERIES IN RETURN.
Oh goodness, me too! The mods have been very kind though ^^
[They had to give something up for a ‘toll’ but… everyone he had talked to previously hadn’t mentioned a safe space room appearing within the last Crossing.]
And that’s true! I’m used to the vague mysteries that us apparitions have to answer with, and even then I find myself going in circles with their answers~!