The Ferryman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
theferryman) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thecrossing2024-12-14 11:51 am
theferryman) wrote in thecrossing2024-12-14 11:51 am
Entry tags:
voice + text
[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. ]
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:]
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. ]
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[Everyone deserves to find peace, Nagito, they had told him. But he can't accept that so easily.]
Of course, maybe you don't have any memories like that. If you're not responsible for the pain, I don't see any problem in letting it go, so please, there's no need to listen to someone with problems like me.
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Frieda's eyes dart towards Sunny in between them - Sunny, who seems so burdened and saddened, and whom she told far too much about her world, its desperate situation, and part of her role in it only a short while ago -, only to see him look about as guilt-stricken as she feels.
Back home, she'd have found a justification. What does it matter if a few (hundred, thousand, million) people had to die or suffer for the greater good? But now, with her ancestor's will no longer steering her mind, she feels far to terrible for the deeds committed even in the name of atonement.
Regardless, she needs to argue - if not for her sake, then for Sunny's. Whatever he's done, she's sure that it can't be so terrible that he doesn't deserve the oblivion of forgetfulness... and the same likely goes for Nagito, who's so polite and friendly despite his rather radical stance. (Then again, what does she know? For all intents and purposes, her sins don't show on her face either.)]
...
If it's a test of responsibility, we're bound to find out. Perhaps those who hold on to the pain they caused will be rewarded. However, the Ferryman did say that we'll have to face any memory we want to give up, and we don't quite know what that entails yet.
[While she isn't outright squirming, her posture is tense, and concern for both boys is written on her face. She can't press them for what it is that they feel so responsible for - that's what all three of them are guarding, much as she gave Sunny some insight -, but she can't help but feel like sooner or later those matters will all be brought to light, whether they want it or not.]
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Imagine if Enoshima appeared here. He wraps his arms around himself, gripping each sleeve of his jacket with the opposite hand, though the gesture seems automatic.] All the more reason to be especially careful with the first memory we give up! Imagine pushing that burden onto everyone else! But Ferryman-san could be speaking entirely metaphorically, or at least personally, and in that case, it's entirely different. We need more information, so--
[Sunny is the one taking notes for things like what to ask the Ferryman, so Nagito's gaze finally rests on him. The notebook and pencil are on the ground, and Sunny has a look on his face. And it's certainly not the first time someone has looked like that while Nagito was talking, but it's so often that Nagito just doesn't know why. His face morphs into confusion as he addresses Sunny.] Is something wrong?
[It's as if Nagito thought he was just having a normal, casual conversation this entire time.]
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After a decisive nod at his verdict of needing more information (though his words already made her mentally step back from her plan to give up virtually all her burdensome knowledge), her eyes also turn back to Sunny when Nagito addresses him. Feeling like Sunny is overwhelmed and she needs to protectively step in (not without casting a look at Kel and Mari, his friend and sister), she states:]
In the worst case, even people without horrible memories could be affected by the others', then. That's worrisome for all of us.
[There's your way out, Sunny, if you need it. But she goes quiet to hear what, if anything, he himself wants to say.]
Replying to both Frieda and Nagito ^^
Lying.
Of course, something was wrong. What if everyone found out? Frieda’s own ‘worst case’ scenario frightened him.
Sunny forced himself to take a breath. Then another. Calming down.
Shaky hands picked up the notepad - and the pencil, once he found it - before he wrote something, not trusting his voice.]
OK. [On his state. Another half-lie.] We should figure out what to ask the Ferryman. What-ifs don’t help.
[He was pretty sure he was speaking for everyone when he wrote that. Not that he normally would but… they could sit here debating all day. Without the key information, they wouldn’t get much further in their own understanding.]
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Then we'll work out what to ask Ferryman-san specifically together! That's productive, right? [A question, because maybe he's gone wrong somewhere in this conversation, even if Nagito is genuinely uncertain as to where.]
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Together…
Even if Sunny’s own input in this meeting was sure to not be that helpful, everyone else would be able to figure it out, right?
He wrote a few quick things on the notebook page, turning it for the other teen to see.]
Nagito -> Smart [followed by a somewhat discernible drawing of a thumbs up]
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It's hard to get specifics out of the Ferryman, but I agree.
[After all, what else can they do but keep inquiring until told to stop? They're moving towards something completely unknown to them... or maybe, something all too familiar to each individual.]
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But…
Frieda’s words were true, now that the teen thought about it. Especially in relation to his own interactions with the Ferryman.
Answers were vague, if well-meaning.
Sunny wrote again on the notepad, turning it over for them to see.]
They offered to help, if we needed anything. Maybe there are things they can’t tell us?
[If that was true, Sunny didn’t know the reason why]