songerein | { gingerbread town | test drive #09

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{ gingerbread town | test drive #09 - december 2022 }

GINGERBREAD TOWN

On Tuesday the 27th, with no warning whatsoever, everyone will awaken and find the entire town transformed into gingerbread and candy, from peppermint candy cane trees, to gumdrop bushes, to chocolate brick roads. They will also find themselves changed into one of the following forms: gingerbread figures, nutcrackers, or wooden figurines. It's a complete transformation—no costumes or partials this time! Although they can move and use most of their abilities, it's a bit hampered when it's also discovered that everything has shrunk down a bit in size. Not only that, but there is an indestructible magiglass dome over the town to prevent anyone from breaking in—or out. So if there is anyone who happened to be out of town at the time, they will not be changed and will be stuck outside. The Tree of Stories, the Observatory, and the Carnival park are excluded from the change and remain normal.

Fortunately a pair of gingerbread twins named "Hansel" and "Gretel" as well as the tapirs are there to help explain what happened. The town has been cursed by the witch who inhabited that suspicious house from the Dream Board, and everyone needs to band together to do two things to break out of curse: 1) gather enough dreamotion music notes to charge up the golden chocolate bell hanging at the Plaza and 2) break into the gingerbread house and destroy the witch.

————— ⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱ —————
More details on everything can be found here, but an important reminder that this event log doubles as our Test Drive Meme and information can be found in this section.

This means any outside characters participating in the log are canonly logged as appearing in Songerein in December and will remain in Songerein from the IC date of December 27 through 31. TDM only characters can only thread within this log. Anyone who apps in and is accepted will have their character count December as their first time in the game without any disruption, so all content will carry over. Those who do not apply will disappear which should not seem too unusual as people randomly disappear already, however players in game can choose to retcon and pretend a character was never there to begin with if it would be easier; or even think their presence was just a dream.

IMPORTANT! All outside characters MUST have "TDM" in their subject line, even if you might not app. This will help people differentiate those who are already in the game and those who are not.

TDM threads are required for samples. Refer to the Game Info for general information and feel free to toss any questions here. Reserves will open Sunday, December 25th and Applications will open on January 1st. Our application cycles are bi-monthly so the next cycle after won't be until March.

TDM Toplevel Link Directory (click to view; updated 12/30)

Adventure Time - Finn the Human
Adventure Time - Jake the Dog
Ai: The Somnium Files - Mizuki Okiura
Bleach - Riruka Dokugamine
Bunjou Stray Dogs - Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Chainsaw Man - Denji
Don't Starve Together - Wendy Carter
Fallout 3 - The Lone Wanderer
Final Fantasy XIII-2 - Noel Kreiss
Final Fantasy XIV - Y'shtola Rhul
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Bernadetta von Varley
Forgotten Realms - Jarlaxle Baenre
Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight - Cassander Timaeus Berenice
Genshin Impact - Amber
Genshin Impact - Scaramouche
Granblue Fantasy - Lyria
Heroes of Olympus - Leo Valdez
Kingdom Hearts - Demyx
Kingdom Hearts - Riku
Persona 5 Strikers - Zenkichi Hasegawa
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet - Penny
Rage of Bahamut - Amira
Shadow Game Series - Enne Salta
South Park - Kenny McCormick
Spark the Electric Jester 1 & 3 - Spark
Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion - Agent 8
Tales of Zestiria - Sorey
Undertale - Flowey

THREAD SUBMISSIONS WILL BE IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE HOW THIS EVENT ENDS FOR JANUARY! We will request them during AC and TDM threads will count. For more information, refer to the Game Notes.

I. IN TOWN

There is a lot to process with everything changed and the appearance of Hansel and Gretel, but by now most people are used to needing to roll up their sleeves and get through the tasks needed to succeed. The giant bell at the Plaza helps serve as a reminder of what they need to do and many will be anxiously watching as the musical notes slowly gather into it. To gather enough notes for the bell, everyone will need to work together and utilize their current forms. Note: all prompts can be done by anyone, however some forms have an advantage over others. Musical notes will automatically appear and go to the bell when the objective is achieved. The gumdrops are also trapped in town and will still pull their "mistletoe" mischief.

A. Woodstock. Those turned into a wooden figure will find they have the least amount of changes appearance wise…but their legs and feet are stuck together, forcing them to hop and slide around. Fortunately they can control their movements and after some adjusting they will find it's not too strenuous to be hopping around everywhere. It can be tough to get up if they fall over, though.

Caroling. What better way to gain notes than making some? With movement a bit limited, singing and playing simple instruments may be the easiest way to help. The catch is the music must be filled with hopeful, cheerful dreamotion strong enough to form those notes, and the instruments can also be a problem. First they have to be found, and then some instruments may try to play music on their own—and it's not always the right genre.
Snowmen Mayhem. Snowmen can be found all over town, most of them built before the town changed. Now they are coming to life, wearing big, giant frowns as they slowly shamble around and chuck snowballs at everyone they see. Melting them or using physical force only makes them reform back into snowmen. The only way to stop them is to participate in the snowball fight until that frown turns into a smile to release a note! People could even just have a snowball fight around them and it would please the snowmen. Perhaps they just wanted to have fun, too…?

B. Gingerbread Run. Those made of gingerbread will find they are quite fast and even have the urge to run for whatever reason. However, although sturdy enough, they are still fragile and can break easily. Fortunately they can quickly repair themselves with an extra bit of dough and icing, but water is the greatest weakness. A few drops or even a brief dousing won't hurt them too badly (maybe make their icing a little runny), but they can't swim and submerged in water too long will make them very mushy.

Obstacle Course Marathon. Some streets are sectioned off to have a simple marathon for those who just can't help but feel restless and want to run, and notes can be released throughout the course. More like a cross country track, there are numerous "checkpoints" participants must pass through while shouting the famous line, "Run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!" Each checkpoint mimics the story of "The Gingerbread Man."
1. Avoid the "old ladies" swinging candy canes (non gingerbreads can take this role to help)
2. Outrun the plush pups and kittens (or just stay and play with them, also valid)
3. Climb up and over the makeshift marshmallow chocolate wall (don't let it melt!)
4. Use the "foxboat" (swan boats altered to look like foxes) to peddle across the river (don't sink!)
5. Dash through the finish line
Since it's designed as a group marathon, participants are encouraged to help each other. More notes gained, the better!
The Chase is On! Those who were not turned into gingerbread figures will feel a strange urge to chase those who are. They may be fully aware, or they may desire just a nibble of that delectable baked good. While punching the chasers in the face to try and knock some sense into them will be an option, those who are gingerbread will similarly have the urge to run, run, run! Passing over any type of water, including puddles, will end it. This chase can be long or short, and at the end of it whether the gingerbread is caught or escapes, a musical note will play and fly to the bell, freeing the two from the weird curse…until it happens again.

C. Nutcrackin' Around. Nutcrackers have a sturdier build compared to the general wooden population, with powerful jaws and already armed with a weapon—even if it might feel more like a toy. Their movements might feel a bit stiff, but they have their strength to make up for it.

Get Crackin'. Built to crack nuts, it's no surprise that Nutcrackers are assigned to crack through as many nuts and hard candies to try and find some notes hidden within. They have to go to the farm fields to find the right trees to harvest from, and anyone can assist in this. If they listen carefully, they might be able to hear the note ringing inside as a hint. But they also need to be careful—some nuts are actually cursed and once cracked open will cause the individual to brandish their weapons (or whatever they have on hand) to attack those nearby. Unfortunately there's no tell, so it's truly luck of the draw. Shove a jawbreaker in their mouth and they'll be back to normal. With a slightly damaged jaw, maybe.
Mouse Infestation. Large, toy wind-up mice are causing havoc around town. Although they are just oversized toys and don't attack, they're crashing into buildings and chasing people. Anyone can try to catch and slow them down, but a Nutcracker is the only one capable of inflicting enough damage to break the gears inside and stop it for good. Doing so will release a note.

D. Candy Monsters. While the town is mostly safe, nightmare energy is seeping in from everyone's initial fears and chaos and absorbed into all the candy and delicious goods that make up the town. It makes them come to life to turn into aggressive and sometimes cute monsters made out of candy. Fortunately, they are not too difficult to fend off even with everyone changed into different forms, and dreamotion abilities are in full effect. Other creative ways to defeat them like dumping boiling water or freezing them can also be used.

II. TRAIN CARS

All aboard the Dreamer Express! The toy train has a simple track that circles around the town with the main station right at the Plaza. Anyone can hop on to either enjoy the ride or help get those notes.

A. Past, Present, Future. There are three particular cars that Hansel and Gretel will encourage most to go through because the notes in these cars will be the strongest. When going through either of the "Past," "Present," or "Future" cars, everyone will have a "Scrooge" experience and walk through either a happy or difficult memory or made up simulation of that set time period. The primary theme for each one is something that the individual can learn or reflect on. The experience can be done solo or with a partner. If with a partner, only one simulation will be active, but the other person's could begin after the first ends. Sometimes the memories will be passive like watching a movie and will only stimulate emotional reactions. However, the stronger the memory, the more realistic it will become, to the point that one will live through it all and must face and interact with whatever is there to get through. Once they reach the exit, the note will be granted.

B Unboxing. Most of the train cars are either passenger cars or boxcars filled with presents. A lot of presents. Guess where a lot of notes are hidden. While opening presents seems like a simple task, it can be tricky when some gifts are actually mimics that will pull unsuspecting individuals inside of them instead. Fortunately they are not too difficult to beat up and free the trapped prisoner.

C. Hot! Hot! Ooh, We Got It! There is a special car that's only purpose is to serve hot chocolate…as a musical number. Witness or perhaps even participate as servers dance around with extremely hot chocolate and somehow not spill a drop—or maybe someone gets scalded by an unfortunate spill. But when it's all done, anyone can enjoy some different flavors that can last for quite a while (ie as long as you want it) :

Regular chocolate: Makes the drinker nostalgic, particularly for something in their childhood.
Peppermint: Gives the drinker a spark of inspiration to work on something creative.
Caramel: Gives the drinker extra energy, making them unable to stay still without doing something.
Raspberry: Makes the drinker want to get back to nature by finding an outdoor activity to do.
Spicy (chili powder and cinnamon): Makes the drinker feel more amorous than usual.

III. WITCH'S HOUSE

Getting the notes is just one half of the equation. To completely beat the curse, the witch behind this needs to be defeated. But it won't be easy with everyone transformed and the witch quite powerful. The gingerbread house has a lot of traps inside, from sticky paper to snapping mouse traps to licorice that try to tie them down.

A. Breaking into the Gingerbread House. The witch's gingerbread house will be the biggest piece compared to everything else. The original defense mechanisms are in place and people can get sucked inside like before, however there is no easy way out. A little stealth can help gain an advantage especially as the battle begins by those who enter first.

B. Escape Routes. While some may try to let themselves get caught to get inside faster, having an escape route would be prudent. Since they are smaller in size, it'll be easier to sneak around the house and try to carve a piece out of it to make a hole, or maybe something from the windows or chimney. Multiple routes would be ideal, just be careful not to get caught!

C. Fighting the "Witch." For those expecting some creepy old woman, they will be in for a surprise. The "witch" is actually the oven itself, moving and operating as if it were alive. Rather, perhaps the oven is what the original witch of Hansel and Gretel has become as an eerie cackling can be heard when the doors open and fire flickers out. Regardless, despite its form the "witch" will be a difficult foe to defeat due to its sheer size and everyone still in smaller forms. Restrain it, try to douse the flames, but another effective way to stop it is to just fill its mouth with anything that can go inside, from candy and baked goods, to pots and pans. The more it consumes, the slower it moves. Time to over stuff the oven.

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Oh, yeah, we could!

[ Are ghosts real? She must know! ]

Better than slipping around in all that snow again.

[Hm. The language is coarse, the demeanor is unpleasant, but she must admit that he's not doing or saying anything she wasn't thinking, more or less. She raises an eyebrow.]

It hardly matters, I'm certainly not in the mood to fight anybody I don't need to while I'm trapped in this ridiculous form.

[...Though, immunity to fire, that was good to know.]

I could always try to cut him up in her stead.

[He would honestly prefer to ignore this himself, but it's kind of impossible, so he's just doing his best to roll with it without actually touching anything of what was seen.]

You're a cookie in a magical candy dreamland, Have a little fun for once in your life. It would hardly kill you to relax.

[It wasn't really an admonishment, if anything he found the consistency of Kimmuriel's crankiness even funnier now that it was coming from a little gingerbread man.]

Oh perhaps, of course. This is a very lucid dream, I've heard you tend to remember those a bit better. But then perhaps you could convince me that a dream means nothing, and whatever confessions you profess to me in them are equally meaningless.

[He can be patient, and he was quite patient, folding his arms and standing there quietly as Kimmuriel indulged in his sudden spontaneous love of confectionary architecture. It was only a matter of time- Ah there it was.

A grin from ear to pointed ear crossed his face, though it was if nothing else just a little less sharp and impish than usual. A little.]

Not entirely objectionable? So you were in some regard, quite comfortable with me atop you? As I said, I was quite comfortable... I may want that seat again some time.

[.... Yeah, that one. That looks like a real mysterious gaudy box opening professional right there. He spends a good second or two admiring the feral little cookie-ghost's box opening technique before coming to a decision.]

The Constant? What an interesting name for a specter.

[He could only assume she was referring to her clearly very cranky companion, peering with casual interest at the two of them as he tossed his gift from hand to hand.]

[—All right, that's going to give him some pause, and he stops to stare at the stranger for a moment.]

Family resemblance...? Have you met someone in my family before?

[He def... Well, okay, he's turned into a gingerbread so honestly hard to say for sure if he recognizes him or not.]

Heh, good answer. [He stretches an arm up, giving her shoulder a companionable bump. Clearly she wasn't the only one interested in a buddy through all this. Solo adventuring was never Jake's style, a fact that only seemed to become truer the older he got.] New experiences are better shared, anyway.

[As for whether that was wisdom or a way to pass off laziness, well, maybe Jake gave himself too much credit.]

Lead the way, girl. [He pauses midstride.] Oh, hold up. What's your name?

[But. Gingerbread. He hasn't actually cut a gingerbread yet, it would be interesting to add to his list—

Okay, no, some of those words do seem to start sinking in. Bullying the weak... yeah, even if he likes to fight, he doesn't just go after easy ~~prey~~ targets like that without reason. So there is a brief moment where some clarity seems to return and he does briefly wonder what he was doing.

But then Ky made that offer so that takes his interest instead.]

Oh yeah? Think you can really put up a good fight?

[Childe acting as the first distraction helps Rokurou sneak through as he dashes towards the feet of the oven, able to get behind it before working to get up the nearby table. It's a bit of an ordeal, his size not helping matters, but he at least still has strength and agility to make higher jumps than the average person, reaching up to grab whatever hold he can to climb up where he needs to. It won't take much longer that he reaches his goal, standing on top of a hanging pot.]

Hey, oven lady!

[By now the oven had started advancing towards Childe, the flames burning hot and the metal spine like arms swinging around as if to swipe at him. But at Rokurou's voice, it pauses and turns, only to met in the face by a clang! as Rokurou cuts the pot right as it looks up. It smashes into the "face," a maddening shriek following as the fires erupt.

With the attention now on him, all he has to do is keep it. And he'll do so by playing a very risky game of "dodge," running along the beam before jumping down onto a shelf to occasionally throw expendable things at it, all the while taunting it. He's mostly keep it turned away from Childe so he can prep for his shot.

However, when trying to jump to another spot, he doesn't notice some melted icing there and ends up slipping on the landing, sending him careening into some tin measuring cups.

Not good.]

[Those that never have that particular organ can't exactly hear it, but this flower is still wary of the darkness. That is... until Zelda admonishes him.]

Excuse me? I thought I was the one that was going to take the lead.

Edited 2022-12-20 06:26 (UTC)

S'all good, girl. [He sounds as if he's trying to convince himself, expanding a bit in size to try and distribute the hot cocoa a little more evenly through him. More distracting was the various of emotional roller coasters his subconscious was cruising on.] You don't know this yet, but I'm kind of a pro at this deal.

[Making an spectacle of himself in social settings, that is.]

Word to the wise, though, I think the cocoa's spiked.

That'd be the messier option, but sure, why not? Go wild, slaughter 'em all!

[She says that in an airy tone while looking away. And trying to not look at any of the memory constructs. What she really needs is an exit, but it's hard to tell where they are in the car with the memory blocking everything!]

Oi, you up for the fight too, are ya? [She says once she notices the stranger coming with her.]

Alright then. Let- let's be careful and watch each other's backs now, alright?

[She doesn't know the first thing about how to tackle this, but she can't just stand by. Time to try firing some pellets at this thing!]

[Jake's ears perk at the joke, frosting grin stretching broadly across his face. A snorting chuckle follows, dancing through his words as he speaks.]

Okay, that's not bad, kid. [He shrinks down a little to better match Wendy's size, mugs still held aloft over him.] You two lookin' for seats?

[The car was packed, to put it gently. Up until a few moments ago, Jake took up an entire bench to himself. Now, shrunken back to a more normal size, room for two had opened up alongside him. He nods toward them, tail wagging encouragingly.]

[She nodded in agreement to the remark.] They are. [Not that she was especially experienced with sharing, uh, experiences. She had grown accustomed to relying on herself, but that was out of necessity and not wanting to get others into trouble.]

[The question caused her pause both physically and in thought. It was more complicated than she'd like to admit. Oh sure she had a name, but it was one lost and then found, but it didn't really define who she was. At least, not in the way it used to.] ...Agent Eight. But you can call me Eight. [She liked Jake enough that he could forgo the 'Agent' part if he liked.]

[The statement of sticking together gave her more confidence than the girl realized. She had thought that she'd try to persevere solo for pride or duty. Or perhaps she was just too used to the lone wolves in solo queues.]

Got it. It's big, so it's reach is large. Expect lunging attacks and charges. It may be faster than you realize.

[Spoken for as much Eight's sake than her own.] Do you want to split it's attention or stick together?

[It takes a long moment, but cautiously she shuffles to the corner of the bed, still hiding beneath, and peers up at him. A Renan wouldn't promise not to hurt her; a Renan wouldn't care, they'd just do it and move on. So he... can't be one, right?]

What's... a king?

[Is it like a lord, or a sovereign? That's a bad thing. She hopes it isn't.]

Wh-hey, I'm not crazy! My brain is totally fine! It's just my arms that have gone loco!

[ ... Which is, y'know, something a totally rational person would say. ]

I was trying to open these nuts for notes, and then bam, my body isn't my own anymore!

That does sound like pretty solid logic!

[ Normally, the sight of tentacles would make her gag, but hunger is winning out. So she's trying to focus on the latter and not the former. Priorities! ]

I say we give a lick and see what happens!

Not surprising, given where we are and what's going on... Guess I should have warned you about that before you did it.

[ Oops number two. Now she's starting to feel bad. ]

Um... Well, the good news is, it shouldn't last too long. And I'll stick with you throughout - no man gets left behind!

[ Man, Dog, Alien, Eldritch Horror, whatever he is. ]

I mean yeah, your legs are stuck together and you're kinda fucked if I kick them out from under you. Where's the fun in that?

[He gives the gummy another kick.]

Plus you won't spray any blood or brains when I shoot your face off so the cool part isn't even there to go for.

Actively playing the part of the nutcracker, then.

[...Actually. Wendy glances around, before grabbing at the bayonet again and pushing herself off with a woody sound. She hopped over to some of the nuts, though there were also jawbreakers. ...The appropriate one first.]

Let's see if this helps or exacerbates it.

[She will side-hop the jabby point and make a little leap to shove a walnut into Della's beak.]

[A very rare smile came from Wendy. A treat! She hopped to the bench and sat, her ghostly sister sat next to her. Abby was wiggling and there was that distant sound of child laughter from far away.]

I'm Wendy. This is Abigail, my twin sister. She says you're a very cute dog.

[A stranger! But Wendy didn't seem surprised and she did not flinch. She simply turned her gaze to him.]

This is Abigail. The Constant would be... well, if not this world, then the world this bizarre dream is based on.

Maybe?

[She glanced at Abigail, who didn't seem to have much to offer at the thought.]

I have been calling it ectoherbology.

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{ gingerbread town | test drive #09 - december 2022 }

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