songerein | Saving Christmas

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Saving Christmas

✵ SAVING CHRISTMAS ✵

As the sun sets and the moon rises on Christmas Eve, a strange sound of jingling bells is heard high in the sky as the snow suddenly begins to fall heavily upon the town. A heavy weight of sleep slowly overcomes everyone, and just as their eyes close they'll hear a loud, raging bellow—

That damn bastard!! I won't let you ruin—!

Before the words are finished, everyone will suddenly jolt awake and find themselves scattered in a strange looking town called Whoville. Although it looks as if it's supposed to be festive, none of that holiday cheer is evident. The town is completely ransacked with torn up decorations, broken gift boxes and toys. Even its colors seem faded, music distorted and muted.

All through the town the Whos stare listlessly at their hard work now ruined, some crying openly while others remain indoors in their grief. A brave few young souls try to help clean and bolster some cheer, chanting, "It's not too late, we can fix this! We can't let that Grinch get us down!" But many just shake their heads, their eyes dim. No one seems to have noticed the sudden arrival of new faces.

In the meanwhile, the tapirs appear to inform the Dreamwalkers that they are inside another large dreamscape similar to the one during Halloween. This time, however, an entity called "The Grinch" had suddenly appeared and attacked it, stealing all the presents and leaving everything to ruin as they see now. The tapirs point to a meter floating high in the sky, and although it's not rock bottom, it keeps wavering and lowering as time passes. The Dreamwalkers must help raise the meter to save the dreamscape from turning into a nightmare.

"But the big guy is really angry now," the tapirs chatter among themselves. "If they help fix things, maybe they'll gain a powerful ally!"

Dressed in Christmas themed attire, it will be up to the Dreamwalkers to try and restore the Christmas spirit before the day is ruined forever.

I. HELPING WHOVILLE

The town is an interesting looking place with its unique architecture, bright colors swirling and curving about that it make it look like it could be made of cake or candy instead. It's supposed to be adorned with all manner of Christmas decorations and lights, and yet all of it is missing and instead everything looks so drab and dreary, the colors faded and nary a carol sung. Its tree has also been stripped bare, the presents pilfered, and the much too big Christmas Star gone.

A. Gift Retrieval. The Grinch has scattered all of the presents and decorations throughout the surrounding forests and they need to be returned before Christmas is over. Dog sleds big enough to load up found presents are provided to be used, and the dogs will help track down presents. However, those who enter the forests should be cautious. While there aren't any huge threats, there are present mimics, monsters that pretend to be present boxes only to attack any who approach. They will also eat real presents, so be careful they don't reach the sled!

» BONUS: PRESENT DELIVERY. The last objective is to deliver the present to their rightful owners. However, it's possible the Grinch may have tampered the presents, and this will only be revealed upon opening. Players must RNG 0-5 to determine if the recipient likes the present or not.

» BONUS: SPECIAL PRESENTS. There are some special marked boxes that are guarded by present mimics. Get past them to retrieve the present. However, upon touching the box, it will disappear in a poof of orange and be replaced with a pumpkin pie that will help amplify one's dreamotion abilities if eaten.

B. Fixing Decorations. With broken ornaments and torn wreaths and ribbon everywhere, a massive cleanup is in order along with repairing and redecorating. While anyone good at crafts can help, positive emotions and dreamotion abilities will be key to help brighten everything from its current dreary atmosphere. Creative minds can help produce the necessary decorations while the athletic can figure out ways to bolster their skills to reach those high, hard to reach places. Another RNG for rating is here as the residents will judge their work.

» BONUS: JUDGMENT. Anyone can throw up decorations, but will it be to the residents' liking? Players must RNG 0-5 to determine what kind of rating their efforts receive.

» BONUS: CHRISTMAS STAR. The original Christmas star was smashed to bits so a new one is in order. Although anything can be used, the Whos do have some preferences on what can be used on the star, even if those materials may be hard to find. Rainbow crystals found in the forest will surely help give the start that glittery feeling; they prefer to have it gold; and it needs to illuminate on its own so some kind of light source is needed.

C. Christmas Carols. Carolers are doing their best, but everyone is stumbling over their verses and instruments are out of tune. A bit of positive reinforcement and Christmas cheer will help sort things out. Those who are musically inclined can lead the way by singing and even creating new songs to help inspire others.

» BONUS: A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CAROL. In the designated thread, a new carol will be composed by the dreamwalkers. Each one will supply their own verse in response to the previous (click here for example). The thread is only for the verses, but there will be another thread where players can go ham for their characters to comment on the song as it goes on. Anyone can participate multiple times but must wait for another comment to be made first.

II. SANTA'S TOY FACTORY

Just beyond Whoville with just the Winter Forest to separate them is one of Santa's toy factories. It, too, has been attacked and smoke rises from the damaged buildings. With machines malfunctioning, toys are running rampant and everything is chaotic. If not fixed soon, there will not be enough toys for Santa to deliver.

A. Elf Rescue. The Grinch not only stole the presents and destroyed the toys, but they also sabotaged the machines running the factor. Now elves are trapped inside and are in desperate need of rescuing as toys malfunction and start to turn on them. The machines are even trying to box up the elves as gifts instead! Behaving similar to the present mimics, boxes, wrapping paper, and ribbon bounce around in search of anything to wrap up. Dreamwalkers must venture in to try to turn off the machines and rescue the elves without getting turned into a present themselves. The more elves rescued, the more allies gained to fix the factory and more favor earned from Santa.

B. Reindeer Games. The reindeer have been scattered all over and the only way to bring them back is to attract them with fun and games. In order to do so, dreamwalkers will transform into reindeer and will have additional abilities granted to them, such as flying and manipulating snow. As for what kind of games, they can choose from any of the following:

Ring Racing. High up in the air is a flying course with rings made of magical frost. Racers must pass through each ring to count, but they must fly quickly. As soon as they approach, the ring will start to contract, and if too late it will close and the racer will be disqualified.
Sleigh Pulling. This is a contest of strength! Sleighs will be piled high with presents and, if not enough presents are available, large rocks to weigh it down. Each reindeer must then try and pull their sleigh down a simple straight lane to the finish line. Just beware, rogue toys will appear on the track and will need to be dealt with somehow. There are no restrictions—each reindeer can use whatever ability or skill they can think of to help pull the overloaded sleigh. The contest can be 1v1 or 2v2.
Robot Reindeer. All the excitement does attract many of the reindeer back, but unexpected guests arrive as well—and they're not friendly. Sent by the Grinch, robotic reindeer will suddenly descend from the skies to ruin the festivities. It will be up to the dreamwalkers in their reindeer form to fight back against them—or try to convert them to help out instead.

C. Gingerbread Army. Giant gingerbread men occasionally appear and try to smash through the toy factory, hampering rescue efforts. Fortunately, they are only made of gingerbread and easy to fall apart. Unfortunately, they will not only regrow lost parts but grow from severed parts. Their weak point is the glowing gumdrop located among the many gumdrops on the body, and destroying it will destroy the gingerbread completely.

[Mod Note: Details can be read and questions can be asked on the Event Details post. Submit all special threads and ratings to the Event Thread Submissions form.]

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So it's-- like a drawing?

[ On the moon? There's so much about that that has Naminé puzzled, her face the picture of curious uncertainty as she casts a quick, half-hearted glance behind her to make sure there's no fellow named Horatio back there, feeling silly the whole time. That's always the thing with Alastor; she can feel in a subconscious kind of way that he's had such a countless number of experiences that she definitely hasn't. Whatever his world is like, it must be very interesting, if he's any indication.

But examining what's in front of her is much easier, and Naminé perks as her eyes flick over the decorations at his prompting. ]

It looks good...! [ And since that wasn't enough earlier, she adds a shyer, ] Perfect, even.

[ Nevermind that it was her plan; she can compliment him more easily than she can herself. ]

Now-- all that's left to do is light it up.

[ And hope it's all in good working order. Then again, this is a dream, so surely a bit of willpower would go a long way. ]

Hmmm...[He taps a finger to his chin as he considers how to answer.] More like a shadow puppet show!

[He snaps his fingers, and a small shadow darts over to pick up a discarded round bauble covered with snow near Namine and holds it out for her perusal.]

Different little imperfections in the surface can take on some very interesting features when the light hits them just right.

[The bauble slowly turns in the shadow's claws, the ambient lighting striking the clumps of snow sticking to its surface. They create their own shadows across the surface of the shiny ball until, finally, the shadows fall in just such a way that it gives the basic features of a face.]

[As she gives the order to light it up, Alastor summons his microphone stand to twirl it enthusiastically.]

Then let's light up this town!

[There are radios here in Whoville. He can feel them and easily reaches out to them. They start switching channels to his own signal, causing a few Whovillians to jump in alarm. Then comes music in the electro swing style and Alastor's voice singing merrily through the speakers.]

♪♫ Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
Over the fields we go, laughing all the way!
Bells on bob-tail ring, making spirits bright!
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! ♪♫

[He's not just singing, he's dancing on the rooftop, not in the least bit afraid of plummeting to his death. His own merriment and energy ignites the lights around him, showing off Namine's craftsmanship as the Whovillians begin flocking to see what's going on.]

[And then toes start tapping. Whovillians start bobbing their heads along to the music as smiles begin to creep across their faces. Like a benign infection, the good spirits are starting to spread.]

[Other decorations -- dark and thought dead -- begin flickering.]

Edited 2022-02-14 15:55 (UTC)

Shadow puppet?

[ What a peculiar answer! Fascinated and confused by the notion, the girl turns with only the slightest of jumps as the shadow (puppet, for added irony) provides her with an example. She seems to have no qualms about leaning in to study the sphere, regarding it with interest until the epiphany strikes her and she gives a soft, awed, 'oh...!'

Although at that point, Alastor's quick to upstage himself. Raising her wondering eyes toward the rooftop, Naminé looks on as his song and dance number gets started in earnest. Watching him, she can't help but hold her breath - not only because it's such an interesting display, but because he's proving once again that he has no sense of self-preservation when it comes to snowy rooftops.

And yet, it's working. Lifting her spirits is one thing, but as more and more lights begin to flicker and the people of the town come to see what the hubbub is about, Naminé becomes ever more sure that this really is what they need, too.

So despite any concerns she might have for Alastor's safety, the girl turns her mind to what she can do to help. Humming along seems to come naturally, but more than that - with quick lines, the lass starts sketching again, eyes flitting between the performance and her sketchbook until, with a quick tug from the paper, she withdraws a flashlight.

It's not much of a spotlight, but it'll have to do, given the short notice; with careful effort, she aims it to highlight where Alastor's dancing, casting his silhouette against the building inasmuch as the strung-up lights allow. ]

[The sudden flashlight causes him to blink and take a slight misstep, but he recovers quickly enough, turning a slip into a slide before leaping nimbly to the next rooftop. The energy and good cheer he's putting out is starting to light those lights, too.]

♪♫ A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright was seated by my side!
The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank, and we all got "upsot"!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! ♪♫

[Alastor's grin widens all the more as he hears some of the adults in the crowd groan at the tortured rhyme. However, he doesn't care. He's having a ball with this, feeding the crowd and feeling them respond in kind. Most importantly, he's keeping an eye on the children.]

[They're the ones suffering the most from all the misery. Children were naive but they weren't necessarily stupid. They just didn't understand the emotions, particularly when their parents refused to tell them the truth. Right now things were wrong with Whoville's Christmas; the adults wallowed in their own unhappiness, unaware they were making the situation even worse as the children absorbed it like little empathetic sponges.]

♪♫ A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell!
A gent was riding by in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lay but quickly drove away!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! ♪♫

[Now Alastor calls to the shadows. Small shadow creatures like the one that had demonstrated shadow puppetry appear, picking up and adorning themselves with little bits of broken and discarded Christmas decorations to glitter in the lights as they dance. They look like tiny shadowy reindeer as they prance about in time with the music, some of them leaping about as kids try to catch them.]

[But most importantly to Alastor is that on the third refrain, the kids are singing along. Which is entirely why he'd chosen "Jingle Bells" of all songs: The lyrics of the refrain and the music were both simple yet catchy. Namine more than proved that with her humming along with him earlier. He'd known if he could get the kids singing along, his little cheer injection would spread like wildfire.]

[Because kids can sing out of tune, off-beat, and have two left feet, but they don't care like adults do. They sing and dance with unrestrained joy which is exactly what this place needs right now. The children are pulling their parents into it which is in turn encouraging other adults to start taking a bit of a risk since they wouldn't be looking silly alone. The other light displays are back on if a bit dimmer than the one Namine had made, but most importantly it's easy to see how the "infection" is spreading by how more and more lights farther and farther up the streets are coming on and radios farther and farther away are starting to tune into Alastor's signal. Which, in turn, is luring more Whovillians to the area to see what all the ruckus is about who then catch the "bug". This causes the street to light up more, the radios farther out to pick up Alastor's signal, and the cycle to repeat.]

Edited 2022-02-22 08:57 (UTC)

[ For just a second, Naminé heart drops as Alastor missteps; she'd meant to angle the flashlight up carefully, but inexperience led to a miscalculation. Teeth sinking into her lip, she watches with wide, distressed eyes - but once again Alastor proves to be an excellent performer, and the leap goes over well with the crowd.

It teaches her to be more careful with the torch, at least. No matter her guilt, though, or the mental promise of an apology for Alastor later, the joy around him really is as infectious as the music. Crowds have a tendency to make Naminé nervous, rare as they've been in her life, but this one seems worth it as the energy ripples throughout the area. She's closer in physical age to some of the adults than to many of the children, but she's still awfully young - young enough to look up with eyes and bright and wide as anyone's, her singing too quiet to be heard from a distance but there all the same as she can't help but join in.

And really, truly, she's delighted. Happiness has been so rare for her, excitement so unlikely to be any positive influence, and as much as everyone else needed this, so too did Naminé. There's laughter in her chest, a broad smile on her face - the children dance around her and though she doesn't join in, they're nearly as entertaining as Alastor himself as the flickering lights grow in strength.

With so much joy so readily available, soon enough it occurs to Naminé to make use of it. What the people native to the dream lack, she makes up for with her own ability to manipulate dreamotion; with a little effort, she presses it into a few of the nearby lights, urging them back more solidly to full strength as the colors begin to spread outward from her along the various strings that were once dangling listless and lifeless. ]

[Alastor teleports down to start flitting through the crowd, giving a little spin here, a shuffle there, and so on as he swaps impromptu dance partners with expert skill, even the little ones who don't even reach his knees. His face is a bit flushed from the rush of it all. It's heady like wine, but he has plenty of practice keeping it under control. Later he's likely to crash from exhaustion but right now?]

[Right now, he had one last verse.]

♪♫ Now the ground is white, do it while you're young
Take the girls tonight, and sing this sleighing song!
Just get a bob-tailed bay, two-forty for his speed
Then hitch him to an open sleigh and crack, you'll take the lead!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! ♪♫

[His last dance partner is Namine herself, him taking her hand and giving her a spin, making sure that she doesn't slip and fall. He lets the music continue, repeating it as he begins to speak.]

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! It's wonderful to be here in Whoville tonight and for you all to join us! My name is "Alastor", and this charming belle is Namine, the one who made this brilliant display possible! Let's give her a hand, folks!

[And immediately there's applause, cheering, and even whistling from the Whovillians.]

[Alastor leans towards Namine to murmur in her ear.] Take a bow, Miss Namine. It's only right.

[ Alastor's at once both hard to keep track of and hard to look away from as he whirls his high-spirited way through the crowd, involving them efortlessly in the performance. He's truly in his element in a manner Naminé very much is not, but that doesn't lessen her enjoyment any as she watches the dance carry on.

Only late does she realize where he's headed - just in time to stretch her fingers out on a reflex before her takes hold of her palm. Laughing as the world begins to spin, Naminé's steadier on her feet this time than she was the last, even with the snow covering the ground. It's not much, but at least she has a little practice, now.

Smiling face turned up at Alastor, she listens to his words without being overly conscious of the crowd; he's talking to them, sure, but it's him they're focused on. Until suddenly it isn't as he introduces her to them, and with a start the lass angles her gaze toward the eyes now turned her way. The experience seems to have an effect on her as her head shifts with a wide glance across the sea of faces, her free arm pulling close to her body.

But contrary to what her instincts might anticipate, the people act so very happy to see her. It's an utterly bizarre feeling, overwhelming in its uniqueness to her, and Naminé shifts uncertainly in place until Alastor's murmur prompts her to take appropriate action. Her shoulders rise slightly, but she soon musters a broad, genuine smile to offer the crowd as she performs a polite, ladylike little bow. ]

Thank you very much, everyone...!

[ It's not loud, probably too quiet to be heard over the noise without assistance; still, her eyes are bright and kind and honestly joyful, despite the way her fingers tremble like wind-blown leaves in Alastor's grasp. She's not used to the stage, this tiny wallflower of a girl - but if she can help make people happy, isn't it worth the nerves? ]

[Very likely most of the Whovillians can't hear her, but the smile and obvious pleasure on her face made the words unnecessary.]

[Sensing his fellow performer needs a moment, Alastor redirects the crowd's attention.]

The music will be playing for as long as we're here! We hope you enjoy it and the lights along with spreading a bit of Christmas cheer! Let's light up all of Whoville, shall we?!

[This was accompanied by a loud cheer.]

[Expertly, Alastor segues the music into more electro swing versions of Christmas songs. Even the slower songs are bouncy and danceable. Some people sing along with the songs they know. Others retreat into their houses to retrieve treats to share with their neighbors. It's turning into a full-on block party which is only continuing to spread.]

[Meanwhile Alastor is bouncing on the tips of his toes.]

Much, much better! [He's no longer broadcasting his voice so it's said to just Namine. He then turns to bow to her.] Marvelous idea you had with those lights, my dear!

[ While she might manage to maintain her smile, Naminé still feels considerable (albeit private) relief when attention shifts away from her. Her shoulders sink with her small sigh, breath clouding faintly in the air before she sees fit to nod to back up Alastor's statement on their mutual behalf.

Although the music catches her interest enough to cause her momentary distraction, it's no comparison to Alastor himself, and Naminé's smile broadens as she takes in his demeanor. His bow prompts a rounding of her mouth, and then she replies to the gesture with another of her own - deeper than the one she gave the crowd. It's easier to get into when it's only him she's talking to. ]

Thank you, but-- you're the one who really did something special. All of this...

[ Reaching out for the right word is a challenge, she's so pleased with how everything turned out. ]

It's wonderful. And it seems to be just what they needed, too...! I've never seen so many people so excited before. [ Warmly sincere, ] You're amazing, Alastor.

Your lights provided the inspiration, my dear, so let's both take the credit for this, hmm?

[He grins at her.]

And if you think this was good, you should've seen me in my heyday! [He gives a less melodramatic sigh than he'd intended, intending to make light of the situation.] I don't get to perform much nowadays, so I'm shamefully rusty.

Edited 2022-03-18 03:10 (UTC)

[ Smiling back, the girl lets go of her reluctance with a little huff; it takes one extra beat for her to pull up the right silly thing to say in response from her memory, which is, ]

Alright - if you insist.

[ Which sounds awfully sweet from her despite the humor in it, and her delivery's only a tiny bit stuff. The corners of her mouth pull toward something wryer and more sympathetic as she tilts her head at his semi-dramatic response, her elf costume jingling faintly. ]

If that was you being rusty, I really do wish I could see you at your best. Although I suppose that's for selfish reasons...!

[ Not entirely, in point of fact; she genuinely delights in other people's successes perhaps as much as he does in their failures. ]

[Alastor preens. He's a narcissist and he knows it, but he's a showman so it all works out.]

My dear, if the opportunity ever arises, I'd be more than happy to give you a proper performance! What good is an entertainer with no one to entertain?!

Then I'll have to hope it does...!

[ She means it, too, her smile as bright and broad as it ever is on a girl like her. ]

And I'll do my very best to be a good audience. [ Casting a glance over her shoulder at the crowd still carrying on, having a whale of a time; ] But for now - I'm sure there are other people around who could use some cheering up, too.

[ Clearly the two of them will be able to stay busy! ]

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Saving Christmas

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Song and dance number go!

\o/!!

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Think this one is winding down. :D

I agree! o7