songerein | { test drive #02

✵ TEST DRIVE MEME: NOVEMBER ✵
Reminder that our Test Drive Memes double as an Intro Log and threads can be carried over in-game. They are also required for samples. Note: the TDM timeframe is the start of November, after the Halloween events. Refer to the Game Info for general information and feel free to toss any TDM related questions here. Reserves are open and Applications will open on November 1st. The next application cycle won't be until March, 2022.

I. WELCOME TO SONGEREIN

Upon "arriving" into Songerein, everyone is understandably confused. The first thought would be they must be in a dream, which makes sense since the last thing they might remember doing is falling asleep or losing some form of consciousness or awareness before opening their eyes and finding themselves in the Plaza of some strange town they've never seen before. But there are a lot of other people around, some that may look familiar but others so strange that it would be impossible for their own imagination to dream up. And they're all just as confused. Fortunately, a red tapir-like creature appears and introduces itself as Solei, one of the "keepers" of this place. It offers some explanation before letting everyone explore their new "home." [Reminder: Other people aside from the characters will also appear to act as filler NPCs. Players are also free to be creative and come up with any kind of creature or animal their characters might encounter. The only limitations are they must be small to medium in size and not be overly aggressive.]

A. Magic Journals. Everyone will find a journal stylized just for them on their person somewhere and it's the primary means of communication with everyone. The only limitation is that it's text only, but images can be magically imprinted on the page from the writer's mind. Might as well give it a whirl and see who all is out there.

B. Dreamotion Abilities. Although everyone maintains most of their original abilities while in Songerein, they are also capable of using special abilities based on dreamotion energy. From having their emotions affecting the environment to utilizing new abilities entirely, it's probably something that they should start familiarizing fairly quickly. Especially since all the emotional surprise and confusion may already be affecting things, such as random glass shattering or cracks forming at one's feet.

C. Exploring Town. The town of Reverein is small but still sizable, so walking around and to see what all there is might be a good idea. The town has filled in a bit, but it's still larger than the current population and there are a few small fae and small wild critters who have made a few nests so just watch your step—or head. Some could venture out to the farmlands and beyond...just be careful.

D. Dreambucks Café. There is a certain quaint little café back in the Plaza that is known for its refreshing and unique teas and drinks. Called Dreambucks, it's staffed by friendly tea fairies and primarily serves tea and small cakes. Their teas and foods are quite special as the flavor will influence one's emotions and dreams—but in a good way! There are no harmful side effects and they are usually positive. Bolstering one's spirit; calming or relaxing nerves. The tea fairies want everyone to enjoy their time. Anyone can pick whichever table they want to take a break and meet some people. Or take a peek at what someone might be dreaming thanks to the teas.

There are three different types of teas available:

Caramel Delight. A caramel flavored tea with a few spices to add a little warmth to the taste. Just a few sips will make anyone want to find the nearest fireplace, grab a blanket, and settle in as they reminisce on happier moments.

Cranberry Cheer. A strong, flavorful cold juice that will renew one's vigor by leaps and bounds. ...And also make one leap and bound away through their day. Drinking this will inspire one to spread good tidings and festive feelings, be it left over from Halloween or some other seasonal festivity they may be familiar with. General good will to all is also an option.

Hazelnut Hot Chocolate. This warm drink can be topped with moon and star shaped marshmallows and is a perfect alternative for those who may prefer a more mellow drink. A drink of this will develop a want to share stories from nostalgic memories to riveting adventures to chilling horrors—whatever may be on their one or feel creative to make up.

Although it doesn't always happen, sometimes the drinks will be a strong enough influence that it will make the drinker daydream for a bit. Anyone nearby may notice their dream crystal lantern flicker and catch a brief glimpse of the daydream on it. Or perhaps those who want to try out their dream crystal lanterns are deliberately trying to see if their dreams are captured. Only daydreams influenced by the tea can be caught and even then it's just a brief glimpse, but it's still an interesting way to see how the dream crystal lanterns work.

Note: There is no currency in the world and everything served is free at this time. However it might not be immediately obvious and the fairies won't mind if customers repay in some way, be it helping out via cleaning and serving, giving gifts such as flowers or fruits, or something else.

II. CANDY CHAOS

Despite the dramatic events that occurred during the dreamscape and the after effects still waiting to be seen, some good things happened as a result of the Halloween festivities. Looking ahead to other holidays, a few people are trying their hand in making candies. After all, they all can't rely on the fae for everything and with new resources at their disposal, there's no excuse now.

A. Candy Mining. One morning a few friendly gnomes that dwell beneath the town pop up and announce that one of the caves has changed from normal rock crystals to candy rock crystals. More strangely, once mined they change color and flavor depending on the person's emotions or their last dream is at the time the candy rock crystal is removed. Ready to create something new, various candy makers send out requests for various "flavors" to experiment. People are welcome to try and create their own kind of candy or other crafts with the new candy rock crystals as well. However, the gnomes will warn that the candy rock crystals may explode if anyone who had strong nightmares or extreme emotions touch them, even after they are extracted. So take care!

B. Cotton Candy Sheep. A new type of sheep has been discovered (or introduced? Who is to say—) roaming just outside of the farmlands and it appears their wool is made out of cotton candy. While one might be wary of eating straight off the animal, it is said the wool is not only delicious, but could actually be used in clothing if processed correctly. Of course, that still needs to be tested so who knows if it's true. For now, some would like to herd them to the corrals, however they are fast and flighty creatures, capable of hopping several tens of feet into the air and float away. The best way to lure them is to create hard candy wind chimes as they are not only attracted to the sound, but also the taste. The sweeter and crunchier, the better.

C. Trick Candy. Halloween may be over, but the idea of using candy for silly pranks is eternal. One day there will be full "joke" shops around, but for now candy will be the focus. A contest is being held for anyone to not only learn how to make candy, but devise ways for them to turn into fun pranks. Turning one's tongue a different color is too basic, how about something that could change the entire body? Or hair if that's too difficult. Those not part of the creative process will also be exposed to the end products—and failures. Some taffy rope that's decided to slither around and tie people together, a giant jawbreaker expanding to the size of a large boulder rolling down the streets, people taste testing bubble gum now floating in the air—the possibilities are endless.

III. DREAMSCAPE TUTORIAL: HAUNTED TOY HOUSE

To help everyone understand their dreamwalking abilities, the tapirs will ask anyone who is willing to gather around the Dream Swings in the Central Plaza. There anyone is invited to sit in the chairs or hammocks and focus on their dream crystal lanterns to enter a special dreamscape made just for them. Those watching might find the sight of everyone suddenly turning into a colorful ball of light and disappearing alarming, but that's just the normal process of entering a dream. When someone leaves the dream, they will briefly reappear as that light before returning to their original form. The theme for this dreamscape is Haunted Toy House with everyone stuck in a life sized doll house filled with cursed toys.

A. Feeling a bit stiff. Upon entering the dreamscape, some dreamwalkers may find themselves looking a bit like a cursed toy, so hopefully no one mistakes them as an enemy. The form can vary from a wooden doll to a plush toy and always with some kind of corruption or missing piece. A truly ghastly appearance that would scare any child and spawn nightmares. While in this form, dreamwalkers may find their abilities a bit altered to fit the form.

B. House Traps. There are numerous rooms in this strange house, and some might even feel they are in a piece of Escher artwork instead with stairs going here and there and upside down. With it being a dreamscape, the concept of gravity is certainly otherworldly here. While some rooms are harmless, others are filled with traps. Spikes shooting down from ceilings; doors sealed shut as the walls close in; floors turning into black goop or disappearing completely. It's a giant maze and one has to wonder if that giant exit sign is real or another trap (it's another trap). Best way to disarm the traps and obstacles is using one's imagination and test out those dreamotion abilities.

C. Corrupt Toys. Inhabiting the house are several toys ready to pounce on their new "visitors." Fortunately they can be beaten back easily and can be "purified" to return to their original state. All it requires is a nice "injection" of positive dreamotion energy, though how that can happen varies. A healing spell, a smack from a weapon created from positive feelings, encouraging words—the toys just feel lonely and abandoned. Playing with them may also help turn them into allies. The more toys "purified," the less corrupt the house will be in turn. However, if more become corrupted instead, things will turn into even more of a dangerous nightmare and noctaere may start appearing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Oh? So, she's been to other worlds before? Now that's interesting. This sort of thing is unheard of back in Teyvat, and unaware of the Traveler's true origins, before arriving here, Childe would have thought such a thing impossible. He's happy to be proven wrong, however. ]

Alisaie, huh?

[ To his credit, he pronounces it right on the first try. Seems he's the type of person used to traveling around and using foreign words. ]

Nice to meet you. I bet after a year away from home, you must be pretty homesick, huh? No wonder you're not thrilled to be here...was the last place you were anything like this one? Manifestations of dreams and things like that?

[ And did it have anything to do with what was in her lantern? ]

[ good, now try her last name!! ]

No, not at all.

[ eyebrows raised, she shakes her head and sits back further in her seat, exhaling hard. alisaie considers describing the first to him in some capacity, it would hardly hurt - people here are, clearly, well aware now of the possibility of other worlds - but she does not know him well, and it's not really a light subject (BADUM-TSH) to bring up in a cafe. ]

I've never known a place quite like this one. Save for the fae realm, I suppose.

[ There's that word again...but the concept of the Fae isn't new to him, even if calling them that is. There are plenty of magical and mysterious creatures across Teyvat with varying degrees of goodwill towards humankind, and from what he's heard, the Fae are much the same. He has to get out to the woods sooner rather than later. ]

Fae realm? Ha, sounds like you might be a little ahead of the game here with that under your belt. The tapirs had a lot to say about "fae this, fae that..."

[ But he's getting a little carried away, isn't he? Going on about this world when she'd just been sucked back into hers by that daydream. Or maybe it's better that way, if he's being distracting enough. ]

Still, I think we're all a little out of our depth here. Dream or not, it feels real.

Well, the fae here are quite different from those I encountered.. far friendlier, thus far, at least. None of us have been turned into lifeless slaves yet, at least, or not that I've heard of.

[ THE PIXIES WERE PRETTY BRUTAL TBH... those poor eulmoran soldiers trapped as bushmen for the rest of eternity.. yikes. anyway! ]

But you're right about that. I've never dreamed a dream so real. I feel perfectly awake, and I can certainly feel pain.

[ dream pain is never real, but she stubbed her toe earlier and it fuckin hurt godsdammit. ]

[ I mean, the Eulmorans kind of had it coming... ]

Oh? Some kind of accident, or are you the sort to go looking for trouble?

[ His tone is lighthearted enough it could come off like a joke, but if she is the sort to go looking for trouble, he'd like to know. They might get along quite well, if she tends to get into fights easily. He hasn't gotten roughed up here yet himself and it is tragic. ]

[ i mean they were bastards but still, that is some cruel and unusual punishment.. it's like solitary confinement, only 1000x worse and you're being tortured by pixies the whole time.

anyway, childe is asking if she rampages, and alisaie's mouth turns up in a sharp smirk. ]

Well I wouldn't say I go looking for it..

[ patently untrue. ]

But I certainly have been known to involve myself in it.

[ Ah, now that's what he likes to hear! He made the right call to sit and chat with her a bit more, it seems. His grin turns a bit knowing. ]

Huh, that makes two of us, then. Trouble seems to follow me wherever I tread as well. I can't say I grow tired of it, though. Trouble tends to keep things interesting, you know?

[ And right, he doesn't go looking for it either. Funny how they always seem to wind up in it anyways! ]

Something usually said by people who are often the cause of trouble themselves.

[ she's only teasing, though LITTLE DOES SHE KNOW.. her smile, however, is not unkind, even if she's picking on him a little. he just has that sort of face that makes people want to bully him. like alphinaud, or g'raha. ]

But you certainly are not wrong. I can't imagine how bored I would be in a world without a little trouble. Hopefully this place will keep my interest well enough, but I cannot see how it wouldn't.

[ an entire realm built of dreams? how can that not be interesting?? ]

From the way I hear it, if nothing else, we can make our own fun with dream magic...or our own trouble. I heard everyone got whisked away to some kind of haunted dream world awhile ago as well, so I don't think it'll be too long before we get our wish.

[ Still, hopefully sooner rather than later. He's not one to really "settle down", and this city isn't tremendously big, especially after hanging around in Liyue for so long. ]

Let's just hope those dreams about food eating people don't come to life, haha...

[ Or, you know. Whatever the fuck that was she was daydreaming about. ]

[ yeah she's a little sad she missed the haunted dream world.. there would have been so many excellent opportunities for trolling unsuspecting people with jump scares. alas!! she still looks forward to the next adventure to come along, and with any hope it will be soon.. ]

Pardon? Food eating people?

[ she's already forgotten.. ]

[ What, is that not a universal dream across all worlds?? Colored him surprised. ]

You know, a dream where your favorite food tries to take a bite out of you instead of the reverse? You've really never had one like that?

[ Then again, his dreams do tend to be pretty violent... ]

[ what kind of dreams do you people have in teyvat...... or in bayley world?? i've never had a dream like that before, and alisaie sure hasn't either; she arches a brow high, tilting her head. ]

.. I most certainly have not. Pray tell, what food was attempting to eat you?

{ test drive #02 - november 2021 }

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