voice + text

[theferryman]

[You feel it before you hear it: an uncanny sensation like you aren't alone, like someone just out of sight has fixed their attention on you.

They're not hiding, though. The Ferryman is simply speaking, directly into all of your minds, as clear as if they were standing right beside you.]

It's starting.

Sorry. Was hoping you'd all have more time to rest before we got going. But when it's time, it's time.

We're going to Cross. Not now, but soon. You'll feel it when the moment gets here. And you need to be ready for what that means, when it does.

It's a dangerous journey. There's still a lot of yourself left to lose, even if it doesn't feel like it now. That's my role here. I can guide you through it. Keep you safe.

There's a cost. You'll have to give something up, a part of your life Before. A face. A feeling. A memory. That's your toll to Cross. You pay it to me, and you won't get it back.

You don't have to pay. But if you're not with me, I can't keep you safe. You'll have to make The Crossing on your own. And if you do, there's a chance you lose a whole lot more than what the toll is asking from you.

There's some time left still. You don't need to decide now. But you do need to decide. You'll find out soon what sort of toll The Crossing is asking for, this time around.

Come find me if you want to talk. I'll be where I always am.

[The connection is tenuous; message delivered, The Ferryman's voice fades from your mind. If you're quick, and you concentrate, you might be able to grab on long enough to ask a question or two more.

Otherwise, all that remains is the object that purports to connect you with the other souls, all tasked with making the same decision. Whether it's a page or a screen, there's a new message for you:]

A toll to be levied for safe passage
from the cavern to ǝɹǝɥʍǝsʅǝ

Hear a voice that causes you pain
words spoken with rage or grief or envy
fueled by hate or love or suffering

offer it to The Ferryman
and let go

---

[ ooc | And we're off! Remember: The Ferryman is (for now!) the only one who can communicate to everyone via voice; the rest of you are stuck with text! The only exception is if characters try to hijack the fading connection to talk with The Ferryman one-on-one; there's a header for those questions here.

Otherwise, consider this a mingle! Chat, threadhop, go nuts. ]

Comments

THE FERRYMAN

[theferryman]

[The closing connection has the sensation of The Ferryman turning away from you, to return to their vigil. If you have more questions, you could call out, and maybe be able to ask a handful of them.]

[blindluck]

[Nagito only calls out after he gets the message.] Excuse me, Ferryman-san. Do we select the memory we lose, or is the message the closest we get to a hint about what we won't remember?

[reflashed]

Hah, so that's it? Bring us to a bridge and make us pay a toll.

He’s trying ^^; maybe it will work, maybe not

[solitarynote]

[‘I’ll be where I always am.’

Despite the fact that Sunny hadn’t actually talked to the Ferryman, he did remember the glow of the lantern. Maybe… that was a place to start?

Still, he didn’t feel comfortable talking out loud. He didn’t know the Ferryman yet and… what if his voice failed him? That would just inconvenience them.

So he turned to the device, typing out a message. Maybe it would work, maybe the Ferryman would respond… or not.]

What if… we don’t want to go?

[Sunny wasn’t sure he was up for another adventure. The past three days had (physically) been a lot for him, let alone the adventures he would go on in his mind.]

[witnessvelama]

[Oh, that's more painful than he'd expected. Celehar's heart clenches, and it's that dread - the instinctive fear of please not yet, that leads him to speak.]

But -

how long will it be like this, until the end? I thought it would be...

[Like closing their eyes and falling asleep. One last passage, once acceptance of the end found them.]

[hasapoint]

[That connection is close enough to Mindspeech that Need seizes on it before actually having a question, and then has to think fast.]

What do you do with that voice? That memory?

[Mindspeech and the manipulation of memories, she's done a lot of both. Being in this position makes her feel like she's slacking.]

[knockingatthedoor]

This is bullshit. Wait- can we pay the tool for others?

[He's already in protective mode, sorry.]

[urtitan]

[Frieda doesn't seek the Ferryman out immediately, but when she does, after thinking about her options for a long time, she has her question ready:]

Is there a limit to how much we may give up?

[She has so many painful memories, most of which she didn't even accumulate first-hand (much as it feels like she did). If she could pay them all as a lump sump for the entire journey... well, she might feel enticed.]

Re: THE FERRYMAN

[perfecttune]

U-umm... excuse me... [Mari hesitantly calls out to the Ferryman after getting the message.] Why do we have to leave? Can't we stay here for a while?

[She had other questions... but didn't want to swarm the person with them all at once. She might not get a clear answer if she did...]

katsuki bakugo | MHA

[reflashed]

text
[The reply is as instant as it can be for someone who can only type with their non dominant hand like a boomer.]

LIKE HELL I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ANYTHING. JUST SHOW ME WHERE TO GO I'LL DO IT MYSELF.

[action]

[If you want to come across him in the (unliving) flesh. You can find him at the edge of the river, pacing back and forth, hunched over and with his hands, in his pockets, looking somehow reminiscent of an angry cat]

text

[blindluck]

What a decisive answer! I'm not sure if coming to a conclusion so quickly is a sign of confidence or recklessness! [Perhaps both!]

In the Not-Flesh

[solitarynote]

[Sunny was determined to not go back to the River. The pain he had felt when submerged in its depths made sure of that - and, if it hadn’t, the fact that it was a deep body of water surely would have kept him away.

Still… seeing a familiar, one-armed figure pacing in front of said body of water was enough to catch his attention. It actually did remind him of Mewo, when the kitten had gotten into a particularly fussy mood…

So when the teen did approach, he stayed as far from the River as possible. Should he… say hi? Wave? What if he was bothering the other teen? Sunny fidgeted in place, unsure of what to do.]

text

[ghostmoder]

there's always a goddamn catch
i'd bet money they make it even more of a pain in the ass for the ones who try to go it on our own

[knockingatthedoor]

While I understand your reaction, I think it'd be wiser to actually get some info before making any big statement.

[He can't believe he's trying to be reasonable, but movies and videogames taught him stuff.]

Action

[urtitan]

[While Frieda saw some discussion play out on the pages of her book, the messages appeared without names to indicate who was writing them - only the different fonts, some hand-written and others oddly even, indicated who was conversing.

When she eventually makes her way to the river and sees the blond boy restlessly pacing, she can imagine that he must be one of those who struggle with the choice ahead of them. Seeing his grim expression, she hesitates to approach him... but surely, stewing in the problem won't be good for him.]

Is it you who wrote about wanting to make the journey on your own? Have you asked the Ferryman about the dangers on the way?

[witnessvelama]

That may not be wise. Do not say anything rash.

[Celehar's response to that angry scrawl comes some time later, after he's had a chance to process the Ferryman's message himself.]

[Action/Text]

[witnessvelama]

[Celehar is standing in the husk of a building he's chosen for his own, when the voice speaks to him. It's sudden presence startles him into dropping the piece he's found - a little ornament in stained glass that crashes to the floor from his nerveless fingers, with enough echoing presence that it must surely be heard on the street outside, should any be passing by at that moment.

He listens with his ears pinned back against his skull, a dreadful feeling sinking into the pit of his stomach as he does. With slightly shaking hands, he goes to kneel, picking up the pieces of the ornament he'd dropped. First, before he can think on such things, he needs to clean up the broken glass.]

--

[Later, when he's had the time to gather his wits, Celehar turns his attention to his little notebook. Most often he uses it to keep notes for his Witnessing, but now the pages lie empty and blank, except for the so-called toll.

If it might truly spread the message... then all he has to do is write. With a careful precision, he sets pen to paper, keeping his handwriting neat in the fashion with which he dictates depositions, rather than his less formal personal notekeeping.]

My name is Thara Celehar, a Witness for the Dead. I have undertaken to create a Mich'othasmere - a shrine to all gods - in the remnants of the city. For any who might seek peace or space for meditation, I offer it to you here.

I cannot make any offer of wise words of guidance, but I am versed, at least, in offering a listening ear. You may find the shrine off the first market square of the bridge to the River, marked with a black cloth on the door.

[And so there it is, and there he'll be for a while, a pale elven figure in a dark coat, sitting outside the doorway to better examine the pages of his notebook by the light of one of the warding lanterns.]

text

[ghostmoder]

[It strikes him as strange, to meditate under any sort of god when it seems like those same "gods" must be responsible for what's being asked of them, if they exist at all.

He expresses this sentiment as eloquently as he knows how to:]

why

[action]

[hasapoint]

[Need heard. She comes in after a couple of minutes, soft-footed despite the bulk of her, and takes him in. With the larger pieces already gathered, the smaller ones are more difficult to grasp.]

It'd be easier with a broom, I'd think. At least a damp cloth.

Heading to the Shrine

[solitarynote]

[When the announcement had appeared on his device, Sunny ignored it at first. A lot of foreign words he didn’t know the meaning of… and it had been a long time since he had sent any prayers up to a god. Now wasn’t the time for him to start.

Still… when the little room he occupied became too much, instead of being able to fade away into his daydreams, the teen found himself walking instead. Something to do, something to keep his mind off of the ever-looming chasm in front of him. His feet brought him automatically to the shrine, a dark cloth marking its entrance.

The last time Sunny had been in church, it wasn’t for his own peace. He didn’t deserve that. It had only been to help a friend… and look where that had gotten him.

He was so distracted by his thoughts, shifting from one foot to the other, that he hadn’t even noticed the figure nearby…]

text

[blindluck]

So, what choice do you all think you'll be making?

Re: text

[solitarynote]

[The text catches Sunny by surprise. He guessed they did have a choice in this… maybe.]

I… don’t know.

[Was that a satisfactory answer? Maybe he shouldn’t have replied.]

Sunny | Omori | OTA

[solitarynote]

[It took a long while for Sunny to figure out how texting worked. Doubly so after he had a voice talking into his mind. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so strange, if the voice had been by his own choice but… not now.

Once the teen figured out that the flat device they had been given could type like a computer? He was alright. Even if sending a message did give him some amount of nerves as he waited for an answer.]

What do you think ‘let go’ means?

~~~

[If you want to find Sunny in-person, he’s taken up one of the empty rooms in the housing complex of the city. One entrance, one exit. The sparsity, coupled with that fact, left him feeling somewhat more in-control of his surroundings. Just barely.]

[knockingatthedoor]

[Kel has been... incredibly attentive about both Mari and Sunny. They're 'family', to some degree, and he's been worrying. He was wandering around the settlement when the message reached him and, despite having questions, despite wanting to discuss things with others, he rushed back to where he knew he would at least fine one of the two siblings.

He got 'presents' for both of them, using his wonderful art of 'digging through trash' but right now he's just carrying them around between his arms while he jumps from spot to spot to cut his travels short.]

Hey buddy- [He saw he message, yes, but he's not sure it was Sunny writing to begin with. There are no usernames or anything, even AIM uses usernames for heck's sake.] You okay?

[Please don't mind the pile of t-shirts between his arms, he's not here as a salesman.]

Did you... hear that too?

Frieda Reiss | Attack on Titan

[urtitan]

[Frieda is in the caverns, working on the map she and Yusuke wanted to try and create - they may have succeeded in onboarding others into the endeavour as well, and since she's drawing it in her book, the device that connects her to her fellow souls, everyone can view her progress - when she feels the sensation of someone watching her. She looks around for new wraith arrivals in addition to those already hovering around her, but instead, the Ferryman's voice starts speaking in her mind.

Were it not that familiar voice, she'd assume that the memories of her ancestors have returned to haunt her. Even with the reassurance that it's not that, the news of the first Crossing's approach makes her heart plummet, all the more when the Ferryman explains the drawbacks of either paying for protection of facing the challenge alone. Momentarily overwhelmed, she doesn't respond to the text appearing on the next empty page in her book right away.

She doesn't feel deserving of the Ferryman's protection. If she paid for it, wouldn't it be troublesome for the deity? With her powers gone, she'll hardly be able to hold her own against any danger. On the other hand, the promise of being able to give away a painful memory is... enticing. There's much she'd be willing to let go of - the truth about her world and its cruel history, the views her ancestors upheld for thousands of years, all the lies, all the suffering.

It'll take her a while to catch up with the written conversations appearing on her book's pages, or the spoken ones between those gathering around the Ferryman - she'll listen in first, taking in what's being said to further weigh her options -, but should anyone encounter her beforehand, they'll find her huddled on the ground and looking as if she died for a second time.]

I... I don't know what to do.

[ghostmoder]

[He's been idly watching as she fills out her draft; this part doesn't come very easily to him (read: he's kind of stupid and has a bad attention span), so it's good that she's taken to it. It also means he notices her drop off when they're all interrupted, and that she doesn't come back immediately.

He tries a message first:]

?
u good ?

[When he gets no response to that, he takes it upon himself to take their beginner map for a test drive. It takes some guesswork, as incomplete as it is, but he can sort of infer where to go from where her progress stopped.

He's more annoyed with himself, when he does finally find her. Should've known.]

Dammit.

[He approaches slowly, and squats down a few feet away from her, so as not to freak her out more.]

Yo. Frieda. You read me?

Text

[knockingatthedoor]

Hey. Kel here. The dude in all orange clothes.
Question for you all: Who would be interested in meeting in person to try to... I don't know. Gather together all we know, figure out what to do next, without relying over text stuff that doesn't even have a face attached to it.

[witnessvelama]

It would be prudent to recognize the faces who will be journeying with us. Do you propose a place to meet?

Meeting time

[knockingatthedoor]

[Gathering pieces together for the 'meeting' had not been easy, Kel kept bouncing around and gathered all tapestries and made improvised pillows with them. The floor had been cleared with an old and half broken broom, trinkets he was unfamiliar with had been placed all around as improvised decorations- unable to find enough chairs, Kel proceeded to do the only thing he could by getting rid of the ones he found and making all seats 'equal'.

Not that there was much glory in a bunch of fake pillows put together in a circle. He certainly put more effort in this entire thing than he should have, but at the same time he was a bit like Frieda where focusing on something helped.

Her arrival? Her help? More than welcome. He greeted her with a big grin and a smile, trying to help the woman bring over something flat and dark enough to work with their chalk. Everyone else? He's going to turn around and fully welcome them like nothing is wrong. Like they're not dead, but just planning some kind of trip.]

Hey! Thank you for coming, buddy! I'm Orange Man, Kel, and I'm always happy to see people around!

[He's fully in orange, indeed, and even if his shirt is missing a strip of fabric... it's really hard to miss him in there.]

[urtitan]

[Helping Kel set up the meeting location was a welcome anchor point for Frieda. While her mind and body seemed to have locked up alone in the caverns, as soon as others reached her, she was able to spring into action again. By now, she has even managed to mostly make up her mind regarding the decision ahead, but she still sees value in a group discussion.

As the others trickle in, she takes one of the improvised seats to greet everyone with a smile, and those who have seen her before may notice an addition to her modest all-white outfit: a heavy golden necklace featuring stylised profiles of the Wall goddesses Maria, Rose, and Sina. Seeing it among the decorations Kel hung up had her in utter disbelief, but... didn't she hear from others that they, too, found traces of their home here? Despite the bitter knowledge that the Walls were far from the divine gifts the people believed them to be, she couldn't leave the necklace behind, all the less knowing what lies ahead of them.]

It's good to see everybody in person... there aren't many of us, are there?