songerein | { gingerbread town | test drive #09

Entry tags:

{ 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

II-A (Past) (a cute, heartwarming memory)

You step inside the train car... only to step right outside into a snowy courtyard square. A magnificent fountain, drained and dry for winter, stands in the center of a bustling town square. A large crowd of townsfolk are all gathered around a tent hung with the regalia of the Hyrulean royal family, underneath which sit the King, Queen, and little Princess of Hyrule. Crates upon crates of wrapped gifts surround the royal family, who are handing them out to the townspeople who approach them. Most of the adults are lining up to speak with and receive gifts from the King and Queen, while most of the children are lining up for the Princess.

You join the line to see the Princess. Maybe you're a kid and you can tell that's where you're supposed to go. Maybe you're an adult and you feel a strange pull, like a string tied around your heart, toward the Princess. Maybe it's something else entirely. Whatever the reason, you eventually end up in front of the five year old Princess Zelda, dressed in her warmest winter gown. She holds out to you a gift, simply wrapped and stamped with the crest of the royal family in wax.

"May the blessings of the Goddess shine upon you this season," she chimes with a smile.

II-A (Future) (an intense, suspenseful glimpse into the future)
(Loosely based on the 2019 BOTW2 trailer)

The inside of this train car is pitch black. It's filled with the kind of darkness that is so absolute, you feel it in the air—thick and soupy, stifling you and muffling the sounds around you. All you hear is your own heartbeat. Does it hasten with fear as you stand in the dark? Or does it remain steady, a testament to your bravery?

Somewhere beyond the limits of your sight, a match strikes and a torch blazes to life, pushing back that heavy darkness. From the depths steps Zelda, holding the torch in one hand. She looks the same as does in Songerein, except that her hair has been cut short.

She fixes you with a worried look. "What are you doing, wandering off like that? You're the one who insisted we stick close together."

(OOC: Feel free to tag in brackets if you want o/)

[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)

[ Excuse her for worrying. Instead of concerned, she now looks perturbed. ]

And I said I'm the only one of us who knows where to go. Unless you've some expertise in exploring ancient subterraneous labyrinths.

I wouldn't say ancient, but I see your point. Fine, lead on. Where are we anyway?

[ Zelda leads on, looking rather pleased with herself. ]

This labyrinth is located several miles below Hyrule Castle. It predates the castle by millennia, undoubtedly, but it is difficult to determine how many specifically. What I would like to find out is whether or not it was built by the ancient Sheikah. To do that, we'll need to get a better look at the architecture and the hieroglyphics painted on the walls.

It takes a moment for Link's eyes to adjust to the dim interior of the train car. As he does, as the torch blazes to life, it's as if something else clicks into place as well: he only momentarily seems surprised by the Princess's hair, and then, it's as if he's known it was that way all along. As if he knows where they are, why they're there...

With this all coming together the way it does, he nods sheepishly, as if he remembered saying as much.

"Sorry," he says, quietly, after a moment. His voice seems to echo, as if it's not a train car surrounding them but a cave. "I thought I saw..." Saw what? A flicker of something, faint and red, moving at the corner of his eye. A creature. Something...

He shakes his head. Never mind. It's true, though, for some reason he cannot quite remember: they must stick together.

Zelda doesn't notice the look of surprise that seems to briefly cross Link's features; she's busy quickly glancing over him to make sure he's all in one piece. Yes, she probably would have heard it if something had happened to him, but that doesn't stop her concern. This subterranean labyrinth is the most dangerous ruin the pair has ever explored and its eeriness is making the normally-unflappable princess unsettled.

"Saw what?" Zelda echoes Link's thoughts. Truth be told, she keeps feeling like she's seeing things too, snatches of motion in the peripheries of her vision. When Link shakes his head, Zelda surmises that he's experiencing the same thing. She nods in understanding.

"Well, let's go on ahead on foot. I saw up ahead that the passage narrows, before I came back for you."

Link feels it too: a strange sensation of something about to happen, not unlike the breath you take just before something jumps out at you. He doesn't know what it means, whether it's related to the ruins or the strange cave drawings within... but he mustn't let it rattle him. Not after they've come back from so much.

He nods at her observation, adjusting his grip on his torch, feeling the weight of the Master Sword at his back. This isn't so unlike their other journeys.

"We'd better watch our step," he cautions when they arrive at that point, gesturing at the cavernous opening beside the path. It seems like a no-brainer, but...even the most accomplished climber can fall. And he can't tell how far down it goes.

Edited (i always find something i want to edit AFTER i post) 2023-01-12 21:26 (UTC)

Obvious as Link's advice is, Zelda appreciates the reminder all the same. There were certainly dangers present when they explored ruins and ancient Sheikah structures before the Calamity, but nothing quite so frightening as bottomless pits. Link likely saw a number of them on his journey after awakening in the Shrine of Resurrection, but this is still new to the princess.

But danger has never dissuaded her from the pursuit of knowledge in the past and it won't start now. Even though the passageway beside the pit is wide enough for both of them to walk comfortably side by side, Zelda sticks close to the wall, letting her fingertips brush across the stone. As she walks, her eyes drift over the paintings on the walls. They've been present for awhile, but faded and worn away with time. Now, they look brighter, easier to make out, as though few people have ventured this far in since they were painted.

"Have you ever seen paintings in this style before? I thought they might be Sheikah at first, but looking at these ones, now I'm not so sure."

To not break the festive aura of the vision, Somnus appears within it neither as a ghost nor a toy soldier, but instead as human as any other within the crowd, albeit still dressed in his typical robes. The cheers of those gathered rise whenever the royal family gives another gift and quiet accordingly whenever any of them speak. He sees a king, a queen, and... a child. By their golden crests alone, he immediately identifies the kingdom: Hyrule.

Like most dreams and visions, the progression of time is nebulous. Within moments, he stands before the young princess with emerald eyes. Zelda, one who blesses the people with a nameless goddess. They must be within a town's square, all cobblestone roads and houses made from stone and wood. Looking at the architecture, he places this to be centuries after his own era yet before that of the modern age. So this was what her home looked like.

This is what her family looked like, and although the cold air bites, there's never been a time in which he's seen her happier. How odd for a dream to show a charitable memory.

"Hail, Daughter of Hyrule," he greets in return. Placing a loose fist over his chest, he bows slightly forward without lowering his head. Straightening, he accepts the gift.

"Perhaps another day, I will bring one in return."

There's something familiar about that address, 'Daughter of Hyrule,' that niggles at her subconsciousness, but the little princess pays it no mind. She's just happy to be here, handing out presents alongside her mother and father. It's a Hyrulean tradition for the royal family to give out presents in celebration of Goddess Day (although that's still a few days away).

Usually, the presents are pretty generic, things that would appeal to a most of the kingdom. But this year, Zelda was permitted to make some of her own, and the young princess enthusiastically created no less than one hundred hand-drawn images of Guardians to gift to her people. The drawings were wrapped and mixed in with the other presents, so no one knows who will receive one until they open it. Perhaps Somnus will be the lucky recipient of a five year old's rendition of a Guardian Stalker frolicking across Hyrule field with a smile on its face.

Zelda's smile gets wider at the implication of getting a present in return.

"I would like that very much," she says, wiggling a little in her seat. She glances briefly at her parents, then leans conspiratorially towards Somnus and lowers her voice. "But Father says it's not polite to accept gifts from the citizen folk, so you'll have to be sneaky about it."

Their kingdom prospers even within its colder months, and the townsfolk eagerly and warmly greet their lieges and celebrate along with them. There is a princess bundled up warm with her family gifting presents to others, a family that is there for her, both lovely and loving. There is peace in her early years. It is a picturesque, warming moment, made only bittersweet by how this contentedness has since been lost.

All the more reason for her to strive for it once more, no matter how difficult, because it is worth fighting for. This cannot be done within the illusion of a dream. The vision may serve as a reminder or inspiration, but it is not reality.

...But it is fine if she wishes to continue this dream for herself, if only for a little while longer. There is no harm, at least, none that he can presently see.

"Their Majesties have raised you well." There's a passing glass in king and queen's direction, but nothing more. Somnus steps away from her, nodding his head as another villager steps up to greet her. What was it that Zelda once wrote to him a year ago? Ah, yes-- "May the Goddess smile upon you."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

zelda | legend of zelda: breath of the wild | oops all trains

Future

no subject

no subject

no subject

future :')

:''')

no subject

no subject

IIa

no subject

no subject