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thecrossinglogs2025-05-16 05:09 pm
thecrossingmods) wrote in thecrossinglogs2025-05-16 05:09 pm
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE #3
TDM #3
Welcome to The Marsh, wayward souls.
It's good to see you again.
The TDM is game canon and will be active MAY—JUL. For further details about the setting, please reference our current setting page. All the information there is fair game for this TDM.
It's good to see you again.
The TDM is game canon and will be active MAY—JUL. For further details about the setting, please reference our current setting page. All the information there is fair game for this TDM.
arrival
— TANGLED BELOW ( NEW CHARACTERS ONLY )
CW: trapped underwater, drowning
Your journey begins as it has for all of those before you: in The River.
The water is lukewarm, and murky with dirt and vegetation. The surface isn't far away— but it might be hard to tell what direction you need to go in to reach it. To make matters worse, you are tangled in the plantlife around you, and will need to break free in order to escape The River's grip. There are others here who may be able to help you... but they'll have to find you first.
It's not possible for you to drown here; you may or may not recognize that you don't need to breathe, even down here. But every moment you spend with your head below the surface, you will spend trapped in the memory of your death, as if by a flashback. Depending on what brought you here, it may exacerbate your panic and confusion: maybe it isn't reeds, holding you back - maybe it's an assailant's hands; maybe it's not water clouding your vision, maybe it's something else, claustrophobic, smothering you. Or, maybe it's the dreamy, floaty peace you were expecting when you closed your eyes.
Regardless, you'll need to push through — to even start your journey, let alone finish it.
— BALANCED ABOVE ( EXISTING CHARACTERS ONLY )
You've traveled a long way to get here. Finally, there is a reprieve from the heat and chaotic energy of the Desert: the environment emerging around you is cooler and calmer, if not quieter. There are quite a few creatures populating the Marsh, both fantastical and not. Frogs croak quietly from the reeds; fireflies float along the surface of the water.
Wading around and through the muddy shallows of The River isn't exactly comfortable, so it may be a relief when the group comes across a wooden walkway rising out of the water and leading deeper into the Marsh. The planks creak under your weight, but they hold firm, and draw something like a path through the dense same-ness of the environment.
That path is anything but straightforward, though. And in the seemingly-perpetual dusk around you, it might be easy to get turned around: whether you have to retrace your steps from a dead-end, or lose track of others in the gloom.
You must be tired. But surely it's only a little bit further... right?
a marsh less traveled by
— THE VILLAGE
However much further it is, eventually you reach it: a small village, mainly comprised of wooden, multifamily homes lifted above the water on stilts. (Be careful which ones you choose to rest in, though — some of them might wander off with you still inside!) As with the shelters in previous locations, the homes are decorated as if by many tenants before you, continuously building on top of what was there before, and you may happen upon small items you recognize from home.
Unlike previous shelters, these don't seem like they've been abandoned for long. The items you find might be in better condition than they would have been elsewhere, and there might be newer or more comfortable amenities. Beds with softer sheets and more numerous pillows; pantries stocked with shelf-stable foods; unbroken toys or even board games with all their pieces.
Given the nature of The River here, this is also the closest The Ferryman has kept their vigil to the group's living quarters so far. While they still remain on the outskirts of the village — seemingly as separated as they can manage while still casting the Lantern's light where it needs to be — it's not as much of a trek out to see them. You might even pass them more than once on your regular goings-on during the day.
If you continue following the walkways, out to the edges of the village, you'll find a small pier with a number of rowboats lashed against it. They're small, and maybe a bit dusty or mossy, but they're sturdy, and large enough to accommodate two people at a time. There's no one else here but you — presumably no one will mind if you take one out deeper into the Marsh?
mist of memories
— AND BEYOND
There's plenty to be found, if you venture out: from the burping firedamp, to curious reflections of familiar places, to the choking mists of the mangroves.
Try not to get lost in those mists. It's a disorienting situation on its own, but certainly exacerbated by the wraiths that will follow you in great numbers, their misty forms often camouflaged within the mist itself. It's stressful. That must be why you might feel like you're seeing other ghosts in the mist as well, figurative or literal. Snatches of familiarity, just at the edges of your vision; maybe a face you never thought you'd see again.
It's not all dark and dreary, though. There are patches of brightly colored wildflowers growing throughout the Marsh as well, hidden among the leggy roots of trees and patches of reeds out on the water. In particular, the same bright orange marigolds that dotted the path you traveled in from the Desert also peek out in places throughout the Marsh, usually in clumps of three or four. They almost seem to follow you as you pass — maybe, even, smile knowingly at you. But surely that's a trick of the light?
Harder to ignore are the rarer, but unmistakable, bioluminescent blue flowers scattered among the others. If you touch one, it may have something to whisper to you — but if it's a voice, it's almost too soft to hear, and even if you could, the words themselves are unfamiliar.
But there's no one else here but you. Right?
Image credits: 1, 2 + stock imagery unless otherwise noted
Your journey begins as it has for all of those before you: in The River.
The water is lukewarm, and murky with dirt and vegetation. The surface isn't far away— but it might be hard to tell what direction you need to go in to reach it. To make matters worse, you are tangled in the plantlife around you, and will need to break free in order to escape The River's grip. There are others here who may be able to help you... but they'll have to find you first.
It's not possible for you to drown here; you may or may not recognize that you don't need to breathe, even down here. But every moment you spend with your head below the surface, you will spend trapped in the memory of your death, as if by a flashback. Depending on what brought you here, it may exacerbate your panic and confusion: maybe it isn't reeds, holding you back - maybe it's an assailant's hands; maybe it's not water clouding your vision, maybe it's something else, claustrophobic, smothering you. Or, maybe it's the dreamy, floaty peace you were expecting when you closed your eyes.
Regardless, you'll need to push through — to even start your journey, let alone finish it.
— BALANCED ABOVE ( EXISTING CHARACTERS ONLY )
You've traveled a long way to get here. Finally, there is a reprieve from the heat and chaotic energy of the Desert: the environment emerging around you is cooler and calmer, if not quieter. There are quite a few creatures populating the Marsh, both fantastical and not. Frogs croak quietly from the reeds; fireflies float along the surface of the water.
Wading around and through the muddy shallows of The River isn't exactly comfortable, so it may be a relief when the group comes across a wooden walkway rising out of the water and leading deeper into the Marsh. The planks creak under your weight, but they hold firm, and draw something like a path through the dense same-ness of the environment.
That path is anything but straightforward, though. And in the seemingly-perpetual dusk around you, it might be easy to get turned around: whether you have to retrace your steps from a dead-end, or lose track of others in the gloom.
You must be tired. But surely it's only a little bit further... right?
a marsh less traveled by
However much further it is, eventually you reach it: a small village, mainly comprised of wooden, multifamily homes lifted above the water on stilts. (Be careful which ones you choose to rest in, though — some of them might wander off with you still inside!) As with the shelters in previous locations, the homes are decorated as if by many tenants before you, continuously building on top of what was there before, and you may happen upon small items you recognize from home.
Unlike previous shelters, these don't seem like they've been abandoned for long. The items you find might be in better condition than they would have been elsewhere, and there might be newer or more comfortable amenities. Beds with softer sheets and more numerous pillows; pantries stocked with shelf-stable foods; unbroken toys or even board games with all their pieces.
Given the nature of The River here, this is also the closest The Ferryman has kept their vigil to the group's living quarters so far. While they still remain on the outskirts of the village — seemingly as separated as they can manage while still casting the Lantern's light where it needs to be — it's not as much of a trek out to see them. You might even pass them more than once on your regular goings-on during the day.
If you continue following the walkways, out to the edges of the village, you'll find a small pier with a number of rowboats lashed against it. They're small, and maybe a bit dusty or mossy, but they're sturdy, and large enough to accommodate two people at a time. There's no one else here but you — presumably no one will mind if you take one out deeper into the Marsh?
mist of memories
There's plenty to be found, if you venture out: from the burping firedamp, to curious reflections of familiar places, to the choking mists of the mangroves.
Try not to get lost in those mists. It's a disorienting situation on its own, but certainly exacerbated by the wraiths that will follow you in great numbers, their misty forms often camouflaged within the mist itself. It's stressful. That must be why you might feel like you're seeing other ghosts in the mist as well, figurative or literal. Snatches of familiarity, just at the edges of your vision; maybe a face you never thought you'd see again.
It's not all dark and dreary, though. There are patches of brightly colored wildflowers growing throughout the Marsh as well, hidden among the leggy roots of trees and patches of reeds out on the water. In particular, the same bright orange marigolds that dotted the path you traveled in from the Desert also peek out in places throughout the Marsh, usually in clumps of three or four. They almost seem to follow you as you pass — maybe, even, smile knowingly at you. But surely that's a trick of the light?
Harder to ignore are the rarer, but unmistakable, bioluminescent blue flowers scattered among the others. If you touch one, it may have something to whisper to you — but if it's a voice, it's almost too soft to hear, and even if you could, the words themselves are unfamiliar.
But there's no one else here but you. Right?
Image credits: 1, 2 + stock imagery unless otherwise noted
no subject
Speaking of which…]
Why… not…?
[In fact, Sunny had been sort of dozing before Frieda had shown up, stuck in that place between his eyelids fluttering and dreams just out of reach.]
no subject
[Them, or other creatures.]
But you can sleep if you want, Sunny. I'll keep watch.
[To demonstrate that she won't fall asleep on him, she sits back up. The scent of the herbs that was so nice at fist is becoming heady... but for Sunny, she can easily stay here for a while longer.]
no subject
-Or at least, he tries to.
(The issue wasn’t so much “something might find us” as “spiders might find us.” His paranoia is stronger than his desire to sleep.
But from breathing the scent of the herbs for so long, the teen finds himself almost dizzy.]
Oh… [He’s tipping back over towards the ground again…]
no subject
Oh my, you are sleepy! It's really alright. Would you like me to tell you a story? Or about a dream that you can't remember?
no subject
The story is tempting but…]
Dream…
[His mind was filled with them, fuel for more adventures, and the idea that he can’t remember one latches him like a moth to flame.]
no subject
The dream was set in a room full of nice things... what should I start with? There was a big staircase leading up into another area, and each step was a bright colour. It looked like a rainbow. And a huuuge cat was looking into the room from outside - it was friendly, though. It was the favourite. It was orange!
[That feels like an important addition to make! Isn't that Kel's favourite colour?]
no subject
A rainbow staircase and a giant cat…]
The… favorite…? [The words were unfamiliar to Sunny, since he couldn’t recall when he said them but… they seemed to ring some sort of long lost bell.
Then, his eye brightened, and he sat up fully, reaching for his backpack. Rummaging around in it, he produced a picture… hand drawn of Neighbor’s Room.
While Frieda’s words hadn’t sparked anything in his memory (they couldn’t, he had given that up), it did remind him of this drawing.]
Nagito… and… Spicy One… helped…
no subject
["Spicy One", though? Suddenly, she isn't surprised anymore that the skeleton hasn't taken to any of the names thought up by the groups yet!]
This is the tree, and this is the TV, and this is the hole into a deep, deep water where a kraken lives!
no subject
Sunny is unaware of the internal nickname debacle. To him, the skeleton was the One who made Spicy Puns… so “Spicy One” made sense. (But seriously, Sunny’s own naming conventions for Headspace had to have been a clue. He’s a little on the nose there.)
He angles the picture so that she can point out all the fun things!]
Kraken…! [His eye widens, blinking, as the thought of a giant sea creature beneath waterlogged floorboards.] Why… did it… live there…?
no subject
[Sorry, Sunny, but she can only tell you as much as you told her... she points at the Sweetheart mask.]
This is Sweetheart! She's a donut.
no subject
[Oh! Sweetheart he does remember… (that’s not necessarily a great feeling when he thinks about her, she’s shown up so much in Headspace otherwise, blocking them from… from what?)]
Donuts… live in… Orange Oasis…
no subject
[She's amazed at how his subconscious retained so many bits and pieces, though surely drawn from other original sources!]
What's the Orange Oasis like? Is it similar to our oasis?
[Is it orange in colour, or do oranges grow there?]
no subject
It’s… a desert… with brown sugar sand… and bread buildings… and a train…!
[Sakuya would like that! The Orange Oasis was a lot like the oasis they had come from, but at the same time it had more buildings. Edible buildings. Even semi-edible enemies!]
no subject
[An endless sea of sugar, which is so rare and precious back home, and houses made of bread like in a fairy tale... come to think, she wonder:]
How do you come up with all these ideas, Sunny? Or do they just manifest as dreams?
no subject
Frieda’s question gave him pause though.]
Dreams… I think…
[Sure, some were dreams. Some were daydreams. Some were nightmares. And while there were familiar components based very loosely on reality (like his friends), Sunny owed it all to his imagination.]
no subject
Seeing movement from the corner of her eye, she turns and focuses... and far away as it is, Sunny won't like this news.]
I see one of the white spiders, Sunny. It's not coming this way, and I don't think it's seen us, but if you want to on the safe side, we should head back to the houses.
CW: effects of breathing drug-plants?
Nope, he’d rather not have a chance of them being spotted.
However…]
…?
[When Sunny tries to stand, his legs are shaky, his head fuzzy and somewhat dizzy. The teen unintentionally leans against Frieda again, unable to get his bearings. What…?]
Same here!
Don't forget your drawing!
[He'd better put it back in his bag! If he's struggling with his motor skills, she'll do it for him, then offer a hand to lead him out of the wild herb garden.]
Thought we could wrap here or yours? ^^
Still… as he held onto Frieda’s hand - her hand, not an article of clothing, a scrap of her dress, her - Sunny thought it might not have been so bad.
He would need a true nap when they got back though, and not shortly after entering the communal dwelling, he flops onto his bed in order to achieve that.]