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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1. snowmen mayhem.

( ever since Amber realised that she turned into a wooden figure, things have been tolerable...ish. so far. suddenly, she finds herself taking the brunt of a snowball which sends her flying backwards with a yelp of surprise. )

--Eek! ( who in the world-!? she scoops the snow off her face before she notices the ominous, frowning snowmen looming over her, with them preparing to make more snowballs once again. not on her watch! ) Oh, so it's like that, huh? You're calling for a snowball fight? Bring it on!

( she scoops some snow up into her tiny wooden hands and pelts it. and ... maybe, just maybe, she hits your character by mistake! oops!! )

1. the chase is on!

( anyone who knows the outrider will know that she loves running. and once she sees all of the gingerbread people running past, she can't fight off the urge to chase them for even a second. the adrenaline rush is pretty amazing, and she can only hope that the gingebread person is enjoying the chase too! )

Hey! Wait up! ( it's hard running while your legs are made of wood, but it's soooo fun! )

3. past, present, future. ( & hot chocolate )

( in the train carriage windows, Amber is going to have segments of her childhood shared alongside some of her grandfather's memories. these are parts of his life that she had only heard by ear and not experienced herself - which causes her to have her eyes fixed to the windows.

the memories show a young man, dressed in clothes that some may regard as traditional Liyue garments, on a mission with a mercenary group. soon after, they find themselves in trouble, and the man is gravely injured. a doctor wearing Mondstadt attire kneels by his feet and tends to his wounds, before carting him to safety. the next few montages show the man travelling back with the doctor and his group, who are none other than the Knights of Favonius. now a member, he starts his own platoon of the Outriders, and trains this enthusiastic platoon himself.

now, Amber appears, as a young child. she excitedly runs up to this man, her grandfather, who scoops her up and places an oversized pair of goggles over her eyes, causing her to laugh and giggle. there are training montages which show Amber determined to impress him, with her archery skills and fieldwork. eventually, the montage reaches a point where a younger Amber hides herself away in a closet in the knights headquarters, intending to jump out and scare her grandfather. just before this, Diluc announced that he was quitting the knights - and once the room had emptied, Amber peeked her head out of the closet before walking out of the room. her grandfather didn't show up that day, and she hasn't seen him ever since. )

... I'm not too sure why I've been shown a flashback of my time growing up with my grandpa, but ... ( she gazes down into her cup of hot chocolate, which is just the regular kind. ) I really do miss him. He's been missing for years now. And I'm no closer now to learning his whereabouts than I was back then.

4. witch's house.

( Amber can't say she was expecting this as far as enemies go. she's battled all sorts of monsters in her time, from ruin guards to giant wolves, but this is an ... oven. and although she's a little bit nervous since - y'know, she's made of wood, she's not about to lose her courage at a crucial time like this. )

Listen here, you big ol' oven! I'm Outrider Amber, and while I might be made of wood, I am not afraid of fire! ( now that she's scolded the oven, she turns to one of her companions. ) We're going to beat this thing. I don't know how, but we will.

Edited 2022-12-17 00:11 (UTC)

Brave. I like it.

[Percy grins as he looks back at Amber.]

I have some water I can use...if I'm careful. [he's finding he can't just magic the water off of him like normal, and well...he's a gingerbread man.

sigh.] You got anything to throw at it?

You could try that! Just be careful, okay? ( he is made of gingerbread, after all! as for what she can do, Amber glances around the kitchen, contemplating the best course of action for harming an oven. how do you harm an oven, anyway? intentionally break it? )

I mean, normally I would have something to throw at it. Baron Bunny! My own one-of-a-kind bomb. But I can't use that right now, so ...

( she notices some utensils on the kitchen counter, and figures it's worth a shot to try get at them. )

I'm not sure how strong you are, but I'm gonna throw some stuff down! We'll feed it into the oven until it breaks! ( that's good enough for a plan right!? without any further ado, she throws down the following: a pair of tongs, a ladle, a spatula and a cheese grater. whew. it's hard carrying things when you're tiny and made of wood! )

[he concentrates, listening to her talk as he summons a jet of water. it splashes straight into the mouth of the oven, and he keeps it like that before he notices that she's starting to drop stuff over the counter.]

Whoa...!

[he dodges getting hit with a cheese grater, catching it and some of the other items before turning back to the oven.

Here goes nothing!

[he throws with all his strength..... .

and it clatters two feet away.

he is gingerbread, after all.]

( damn ... this sucks. once Amber hears the clatter of the cheese grater hitting the ground, she leans over the side again. )

Don't feel bad! This is harder than it looks! ( she doesn't even know if she can throw it that far! but, only one way to find out, right? before she climbs back down, she locates the empty metal utensils holder - before she flings it off the side after dragging it there. it's pointy and metal, it might help.

then, finally, she hops down, and stares at the raging oven ahead. )

Oh, how I wish I had my bombs ... or my bow and arrow! This is so difficult. ( hmmm ... she turns to gaze at her gingerbread companion. ) I wonder ... have you tried lifting any cutlery? Even a tea spoon might help!

Edited 2022-12-17 01:12 (UTC)

[cutlery...that might be better. he picks up some abandoned cutlery and tested it for a moment -- it was a whole lot lighter than the cheese grater had been. he steps back, bracing himself, before he throws a fork right into the oven's mouth.

at least this makes the oven slow a bit, and he picks up another utensil and throws it.]

Take that!!

[though he doesn't feel like it's doing a whole lot of good...

he glances over at Amber.]

If...I use water, and I fall apart, will you help me put myself back together again?

[he's already got a couple of icing spots in his shoulders and legs where he's not been careful enough around his favorite element.]

( she's impressed that his throwing abilities seem good with the cutlery - but what he says next worries her. )

What!? You can't do that! It's too risky!

( Amber comes over to him to pat him on the shoulders with encouragement! )

I believe in you! We'll try as hard as we can, no matter how many forks it takes. It's gotta break the oven eventually! It's just gotta! And I won't let you get injured, not at all!

(no subject)

judoflipped - 2022-12-22 17:20 (UTC) - Expand

[Having other chase them while they run makes this whole event even more fun in his eyes. Yeah, it's not a fight, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to totally show off during it. The only thing that sucks is that he can't abuse his hydro vision, given his gingerbread form...but he has other ways of getting around that.

Amber will find herself chasing down a rather tall looking gingerbread man that only looks behind him at the girl trying to catch up.]

Wait? Ha, not a chance! I'll give you the opportunity for now to try to catch up before I show you what real speed looks like.

[He flashes a challenging grin at Amber, c'mon, make this more interesting.]

Hey!

( EXCUSE ME??? SIR????????? YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN OUTRIDER AMBER??????? NOT A CHANCE!!

or at least - she's going to give it her all while chasing Childe, as far and fast as her wooden legs will carry her! )

You can't escape me! ( this shouldn't be so fun but she's absolutely loving it. and at least the guy doesn't seem ... upset by it?? it's a win all around. )

[Childe only grins a little more wide, a little mischievousness laced in with it. That's the spirit.]

Oh ho? So, you don't think I can? Come now.

[He laughs, one of those laughs that he lets out when having some pre-battle banter, lower in tone and challenging. The Harbinger sets his sights on a large snowbank, leaning into his speed and running right at it- and leaping completely over it, hoping it'll catch Amber with her little wooden legs.]

[Well, this is particularly unfortunate. The girl he's gotten into this situation with is made of wood...and so is he. Akutagawa's eyes narrow.]

Well, Outrider Amber, we are both made of wood. So we had better start thinking about how and fast. Our enemy has advantage.

[...Though luckily said enemy is an oven, so maybe it can't hear them talking.]

Perhaps we should think of trying to get some water? Or...something of that ilk.

( it's true they're made of wood - but that won't stop her determination! )

That could work! Except I'm not entirely sure how. Do you have anything in mind on how we'd get water down here to funnel into the oven's mouth?

[Such foolishness is to be feared, admired, and treated with a mix of apprehension and appreciation.]

...That's the troublesome part.

[He begins looking around.]

In the worst case, I can act as a distraction while you look.

[A cackling giant oven easily tops the strangest foe he has the displeasure of fighting against. What a strange thing- not that he really has room to talk, being made of gingerbread, candy, and all.

Her companion seems to be a towering and large gingerbread man(?). He's shaped in a way that may suggest he was more robot than human. If not, the very electronic quality of the voice speaking would be a pretty good tip off that said companion was not at all human in nature before.]

We will douse its flame one way or another.

[Affirming her words as he hops backward to avoid an incoming ember, into some nearby utensils. A split-second idea comes to mind when he looks at the tools, grabs a ladle, and with great strength throws it down at the oven's mouth. He shoots his candy red visor to the wooden girl.]

Throw whatever you can find into its mouth. Perhaps we can overstuff it and at least slow it down [Theoretically, anyhow. He's uncertain if this is the best way to harm an oven, but it's the best one he got so far unless they find a source of water somewhere.]

Right! Got it!

( he's straight to the point and she's all about that! Amber gathers any tool she can into her frail wooden arms, before she launches it into the mouth of the oven. the crackling sound of metal once it impacts on the inside definitely reassures her. )

Take THAT, you oven! I'm gonna break you real good!

Edited 2022-12-22 00:17 (UTC)

[The displeased sound from the oven is telling enough that the plan is working. It encourages him to throw more tools at the giant chunk of sentient metal, much to its annoyance.]

That is right... You will break.

[Soon, Soundwave gathers a couple pans, utensils, and candies as well, before tossing a few candy cane into the oven's mouth. Smell of sickly burning sugar starts to fill the kitchen.]

Use the candies too, human girl. [Not only will it break from all the tools in it, might as well make it physically ill as well to make the job easier.]

[ Participating in a snowball fight isn't exactly on his list of things to do to aid in his investigation, but Albedo finds himself roped into it nonetheless. He is likewise a wooden figure, and gathering up snowballs with these hands leaves much to be desired. He's about to toss one at a snowman to get its attention when another snowball hits him squarely in the shoulder instead.

Somewhat dazed, he turns slowly to find the guilty party. What he doesn't expect to see is - ]

Outrider Amber? How unexpected. I didn't realize you had arrived as well.

[ Snowball fight momentarily suspended, much to the chagrin of the snowmen, who start gathering up the mother of all snowballs to decimate Albedo with. It's probably fine. ]

( oops! her bad! she didn't mean to hit him, but at the same time she's ever so glad to see him here! )

Albedo! Oh, oops! I'm sorry! I think I misjudged my aim and got you instead! ( she'll help brush the snow off him, because she's good like that. afterwards, she turns to the frowning snowmen that are surrounding them. )

I was aiming for those guys!

[ He's about to absolve her of any guilt - a harmless accident, as far as he is concerned - but as he follows her gaze towards the encroaching snowmen. Oh, dear...were there that many of them a moment ago? They're much quicker than he would have expected.

Well, there's only one thing for them to do! ]

Understood. Let's regroup and take them out.

[ He jumps towards a snow bank to begin building new snowballs. ]

[Blitzø was hilariously, grotesquely bad at matching tone for the damn nostalgia train cars. He'd been trying to get off the wild ride and run away from his own shit, but undoubtedly felt SUPER awkward standing next to some human-looking girl reminiscing about the good times. He couldn't relate.]

Well. I mean. Good news is, pretty much everyone dies and goes to Hell, so you can probably reunite with him there?

( oh, she is not a happy bunny after hearing that. )

He's not dead. He's just missing.

I mean... he is a grandpa, right? Probably an old fart by now, probably senile, if he went missing, then...

[Not helpful, Blitz!!]

[There's one colorful gingerbread cookie who doesn't slow down an inch as she zips past! In fact, she does little cartwheels and jumps here and there in an effort to shake off her pursuer.]

Sorry, but waiting up isn't in my contract! I'm more about run-running as fast as I can, not being caught? That sort of thing!

[Her mouth is almost as fast as she is!]

Edited 2022-12-19 19:27 (UTC)

Whoa!

( that was a cool cartwheel. now she just wants to chase even more! )

Hey, do more tricks! That was super cool!

Wow, I'm really drawing in a following! In multiple scenes of the word~!

[She chimes as she continues fleeing. Looking up ahead, she sees some strange old ladies swinging candy canes around.]

Alright then, feast your eyes on this! For my proudest feat yet, I will make fools of the elderly!

[With that, she races forward! And with a practiced grace, she does a flip or two while leaping over the canes!]</smalL.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

amber 🔥 genshin impact ( tdm )

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omg chasing him

🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️ OH SHE COMIN'

OH LAWD

witch's house

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4

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snowmans!

BABY BOY!

<3

3

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chase!

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