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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A whirlwind of memories, years and years passing... it was strange, to see someone aging - funny to her how that was what stood out. She held onto Akechi's arm, just to be sure he was still there, the 'right' one, the solid one. The rest flew by so, so quickly.

Her grip tightened once - when she heard the words that Shido was spewing to the eighteen year old, more hurtful and malicious in such a different way than she'd ever experienced. But the violence, the gore, the death... she stared unflinchingly at it.

The last image was the most confusing. Her brows furrowed... this... this didn't make sense. How...? Was it a delusion? Looking up at Akechi with uncertainty...

"What's happened here?"

No. No, it didn't make sense.

"Yes, I'm at the station now. I should be in Ebisu by..." his other self's brow furrowed slightly, in confusion. Where had that come from?
"Ebisu? Why? We're in Akasaka, remember?"
His expression softened, smiling again. "Sorry. Not sure where I got Ebisu from. My mind must be pretty rattled, after what happened. Akasaka, I meant."

Watching with an expression of quiet disgust, Akechi pulled his arm away. "Someone decided to fix things."

The smiling boy listened to his mother's voice, head tilting as he considered.
"You don't have to take the train, you know, your father's off today, we can come get you."
"You don't have to do that. With the traffic, I'm sure the train would be faster anyway. Plus, Father must be busy, planning for the inauguration."
"Well, we're just going to have to meet you. It's so cold, I don't want you walking home."
"... No, of course. I'll meet you at Akasaka station, then."
"See you soon, then. I love you."

And Akechi's face twisted, as he heard it again. It hurt, hurt like nothing else ever had, hearing her voice like that, so bright and full of energy, knowing the lie that was behind it. "You're right in thinking that it can't be real. It isn't. Someone looked at all the hurting people of the world, and saw things, like little porcelain dolls that you could just fix."

Horrible. Wendy covered her mouth, watching the retreating figure, mind spinning with confusion and possibilities, and... and even if this was somehow the intended 'present', what kind of misery is that? Was ignorance truly blissful?

"...I often wondered... if I could go back in time, and stop Abigail from dying..." she started, a bit quietly, though she paused. "But even if that could happen. Even if I could, with miss Wanda's inventions... that wouldn't change what happened to Abigail. That wouldn't change the truth... those scars are always there. That isn't truly bringing back my sister."

"And this... this would be no more real," she agreed.

'Horrible' was a word for it. "No... no, it wouldn't. You can figure it out for yourself. If my mother had never died, if my 'father' were a better man... It's pointless, and sad, to think about that. What happened was real and it was mine. Even if it was one fuckup after another..."

He felt himself pulled along, as his past self walked. The train ride passed by in a blur, as he caught up on what he'd missed. New Years' well-wishes on his blog, case notes from Sae, a few photos put up in the group chat- he didn't respond, at the moment, wanted to put off letting the others know he'd been released until he'd gotten home, at least, but he did postdate an e-mail to his publicist about his release.

Akasaka was beautiful, this time of year. It always was- but in such an affluent neighborhood there were always decorations outside, celebrations of the new year and the winter holidays. And, as his past self emerged from the stairs up from the subway, he found himself intercepted by arms around his shoulders and a mass of sandy-blonde hair- like his.

Hinawa Akechi was beautiful, in a way she'd never been in life. Her face was fuller and less lined, even if she was older now than she had been. Her eyes bright and full of laughter, a warm fur coat covering her frame that wasn't as thin as it would've been.

And behind her, waiting at the car, was the same bald man that had dragged him into that office, that had ordered him to kill, to murder, to lie and steal and cheat- Shido.
Gruff, standoffish, but wearing a smile that was too warm for his face.

And then he was in the car, the ministerial limousine, listening to his parents talk about what he'd missed. To his mother, tearful and happy to have him back, how he had to have been so frightened . To his father, who'd angrily decried the state of the police forces in this country, promised to make sure whoever was responsible lost their job-
And that smiling boy faltered, as they walked into a home that was more of a mansion, for a house in Tokyo.

Faltered, because Shido had touched him, clapped a hand on his shoulder and called him son, and he'd had no idea why that made his skin crawl, made bile rise in his throat. Faltered because his mother had made him breakfast, put a heaping pile of french toast in front of him and promised him as much as he wanted- that since he'd missed Christmas, they were going to do it late this year-

And it was all wrong. Every bit of it false, wrong, incorrect somehow, in a way that set his teeth on edge.

"...This is unspeakably cruel..."

It was the only thing Wendy could think to say, sitting uncomfortably in a strange, futuristic car and in a strange, futuristic city. With this strange, wrong family scene. The mother seemed kind, of course, but it rang so, so hollow... like an insult to Akechi, a facile dismissal of his pain.

"But you... remember. You remember the way it truly was, now, don't you? This version of you... doesn't? ...Was it the same as what you were doing to your victims?"

"No," he said, quietly. "That man... we're not sure how he did it. But I think he inherited something he shouldn't have, a power to manipulate cognition on a massive scale, and after events that left the distance between 'cognition' and 'reality' far too thin to begin with..."

It was something that had worn on him throughout the day. Something that had had something deep within him screaming, howling like a caged animal and rattling the bars. Something whose name he couldn't recall.

And there were details that didn't fit. He could remember Christmas Eve, remember talking to Sae and Ren, remember everything after that- He had vague memories in December of... helping his father with the election?

But the details escaped him, and then he thought 'it's nothing to worry about', and that stuck in his mind, for some reason, because the thought felt wrong and foreign.

At dinner, he'd worked up the courage to ask, finally, what he'd been initially arrested for, because he'd forgotten. And then he'd remembered, of course, that it had been some petty conspiracy involving the police. Father had grumbled about it, pounding a fist on the table, said the words aloud, something about finally 'steering this country in the right direction'-

And he had stalled, looked at his father with such disgust and hate that both parents had been completely taken aback, had shouted without warning for the miserable old bastard to shut up-

And his mother had placed a hand on his, soothing, placating. "Goro. I know you've had a stressful time, but you can't talk to your father that way-"

And his voice came out in a snarl, a vicious growl that he could finally recall belonged to-
"DON'T. Don't you dare call him that, that son of a bitch isn't my- my father..."
To Loki.

And it was all coming back at once. His mother's face, staring lifelessly up at the bathroom ceiling, her face and body thin now, her eyes tired and the opened pill bottle on the counter.

A letter, found among her meagre belongings years later, giving him a name and begging him to stay away, apologizing for leaving him, for not being better. Nights spent at the public bath, waiting for her to come get him, pretending he didn't see the bruises or how exhausted she looked. Jeers from his classmates calling his mother a whore, calling him a bastard. Stares from the others living in the complex, always judging, always with disdain. Nights without food, without heating, without a bed to call his own. And all of it- all of it- his fault. Shido.

"He's not my father," said the voice of his past self, hollow, now, and angry, with nothing left but hate and his own goddamn misery. "And you're not my mother."

And he'd watched, as the delusion shattered, as the porcelain dolls that had worn their faces vanished. And he hated how much it hurt, hated how much he felt the loss of a father he could remember looking up to, and hated more how much he felt the loss of a mother he'd loved, who'd been everything he could've wanted, dead in front of him again-

Hated, with everything in him, the way he was left to cry, hot and ugly and so, so angry, alone in a house that didn't belong to him, as something in him tried to cling to fading wisps of that other life, that false life, even as the voice that was Loki rejected them for the lies they were.

Hated, as it all came flooding back, the realization that he couldn't recall what had happened, between the twentieth and the twenty-fourth, nor how he'd gotten to Sae and Ren. Hated the horrible realization, the sinking dread that had made him face the realization that whatever was doing this to him- it was doing it to Ren, too. That he might have been just the same as those fleeting cognitions of his parents had been.

Hated, more than anything, how in spite of knowing he needed to talk to Ren, to tell him, to let him know what was happening- that tonight?
Tonight, all he wanted was to sleep. To think about nothing.

He'd given in, in the end. One night. One fucking night to deal with all this. To let himself grieve for Hinawa Akechi all the fuck over again, since old wounds had been reopened, salted, pissed in-

One night, and then he'd start work on finding whoever was responsible for this. Alone, if he had to. And rip out their fucking heart.

The memory, the experience, was overwhelming - it stunned Wendy to silence, watching reality warp and fracture before her eyes. Her experiences with reality were tenuous at best, but this was very, very overt and different. This was the first she had seen an example of something not constrained by rules, but rather, something that could make the rules.

It brought a lot to question. Questions she and every other human eventually had, wondering about God. Wondering about the world and cruelty. Wondering about living and suffering.

The rage was different. The rage wasn't something Wendy felt in the same way... this god inside of Akechi, Loki, had a fire that she simply did not. But that did not make her any less admiring of it.

"You'll do it. You'll stop him," she decided, after far too long to take in all of everything. "I don't believe in stating things that are untruthful or unlikely. It is hideously cruel to give false hope. But I don't feel that... I know you will do what you wish."

"... I did, actually." It wasn't quite a happy statement, but it was an acknowledgement of simple fact. "I had help, but..."

There was another twisting of the world around them, fleeting images that lingered...

Riding with the Phantom Thieves, the atmosphere uncomfortable but tentatively welcoming.

A fight against Fafnir, his voice raw as he shouted, tackling Ren out of the way to eat a blow that would have killed him.

Meeting with the Thieves, looking up in surprise when he was served a bowl of curry, like everyone else.

Sneering, as a soft-spoken man in a white coat described his vision for a world without pain, without misery.

At the club, with Ren, smiling as for the briefest moment they forgot about the threat at hand and argued about the music, instead.

...

Another meeting, in a darkened coffee shop. Only himself and Ren, and that man, with the white coat, his voice always kind, his eyes always soft and sad as he promised- to erase everything you were, to remake you, free of flaws and sorrows and traumas and mistakes. Who'd implied what he'd already suspected, that he himself was only a cognition, someone brought back to make Ren happy because Ren's perfect life- was one where Goro Akechi lived. Where he'd had friends, had family, had the love and support that every child deserved but almost never got.

Arguing with Ren, shouting, his heart pounding as he demanded to be free, to be allowed to live without someone else pulling his strings just once while the other boy argued back that this wasn't trivial, that he wanted to win but not at any cost, that Akechi's life wasn't just trivial-
And the release he'd felt, when Ren had spoken the words that had liberated and condemned him at once, sad and angry-
"We're stopping Maruki."

The arctic calm that filled him, as Loki and what was left of Robin Hood died inside him, giving birth to Hereward, single-minded and bent on freedom and marching to his certain death. Freedom, at any cost.

Fighting Maruki, his white coat exchanged for a savior's robes, a golden mask upon his face as he summoned a Persona. Akechi had fit seamlessly into the Thieves' dynamic, now, cutting down the Persona's tentacles wherever they moved, Ren knocking the man flat on his ass so Hereward could move in, swinging a blade that shattered the man's Persona, sent it collapsing to the ground.

Standing resolute with the others, blocking a blow from a golden titan the size of a skyscraper, keeping the thing Maruki's Persona had become busy while Ren dealt the finishing blow...

And he was falling, as the Palace collapsed and Maruki's cognitive control of the world faded. Falling, and fading, at peace with what had happened...

Only to wake up, in a familiar town. In Reverein.

Learning dreamotion from a man he'd traded jibes with, who was so much more than he'd let on.
Sparring with a horned woman who'd acknowledged his anger, who hadn't called him wrong for having it, supporting him even if she'd irked the shit out of him.
Facing his own Shadow, feeling the relief as the last of Hereward's suicidal single-mindedness left him, coalescing instead into Captain Nemo. Throwing it all away and starting over.
Learning three-cushion billiards from an imp who'd stunned him by calling him a friend.
Feeding crows while he talked with an owl-man, nearly twice his height.
Learning to sign from a pale boy who smiled all the time in spite of everything.
Being welcomed to a holiday party by a man in a red coat, who'd told him- "I'm glad you came, even if it wasn't your thing."
Ren and Sumi and Ann and Futaba, showing up at his house uninvited on the holiday, pushing past all his objections and giving him food, for no reason other than that they didn't want him to spend it alone...

And it lingered, there, on that scene of the five of them, laughing and poking fun at his shitty paint job and his lack of cooking ability, offering him a plate and dragging the furniture together, like it wasn't even a question of whether they wanted him there, warts and all.

"... I didn't do it alone. That's the takeaway, isn't it?"

There was no need for her to say anything. Akechi understood. When he said that he didn't do it alone, she nodded quietly.

His death was spectacular, in the classic sense of the word. It took her breath away, the drive for freedom and meaning and the escape of hollowness. And to be rewarded by showing up here, in this world, dreaming... living a life as himself...

"Your death is beautiful," she said very gently and sincerely. "I will always remember it."

Beautiful. That... wasn't a word he'd often associated with anything he did. Most of it was chaotic, and ugly, and bloody. "I've never thought of it that way before. Truth be told... that was the first time in my life I'd ever felt like I was in complete control. Like my life was in my hands alone."

"Yes... exactly," Wendy agreed, a smile creeping across her features. "I cannot know the feeling... I am hollow without Abigail... but I admire the beauty of your final moments. The sincerity... I feel lucky to have seen it," she explained, before glancing again at the frozen image of Akechi being dragged into a party with friends. After a moment, she gestured towards the other hazy memory of the crows. "Did you know that a murder of crows in the trees symbolizes a spirit caught in between worlds? I think that moment as well is apt."

His expression softened, listening to the girl's words. "I didn't know that, actually. I suppose I might, under certain points of view, qualify as a spirit caught between worlds."

"Then you and my sister are not so different. I promise I will help you on your journey to find peace," she pledged. It was an easy pledge to make. "If you are not ready for your future... we can look instead at what the train wishes to show me."

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

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