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

Thank you.

[She slips in, a grateful smile passing over her sugary expression. Her arms go first before she steps forward so that it fits snug against her front, and the little red dots on her cheeks grow bigger and more saturated as she holds herself still for him to secure it for her in the back.

She wishes, in the back of her mind, that the dogs would give them a little bit more privacy rather than sitting around their feet and staring, some of them giving small noises of approval at the choice of the clothes while others are likely rolling their eyes at them because come on, why are you both being shy now!?]

How does it look...?

[Her question comes slowly, uncertainty laced into her voice, and her appreciative smile turns crooked as she tries to peek around to him.]

[He continues to hold the piece steady, again wondering how this all is even working... But it fits and he pulls it back a little more before taking a lot.

...

Is it strange to find her so adorable right now?]

Cute.

[A light smile as he sees her "flushed" cheeks before he moves around to her back so he can try to fasten the back of her dress.]

Are yellow and blue gum drops fine?

[Totally no signicance in those colors nope. Not sending a message or anything nope.]

[Cookie or not, his approval is all she ever needs that a small, pleased laugh she means to hold back escapes her. They need to try to be serious here, and here he is making her blush as if there were nothing wrong in the world, but he always finds a way to make anything feel a little more right for her, even when they shouldn't...]

Huh?

[She bobs her head to the side curiously.]

Why the yellow and blue? You think they'll match?

Edited 2022-12-29 00:46 (UTC)

Yes.

[In many ways.

And he'll just go ahead and start putting them on, starting with yellow for the top half, and then he'll put in blue drops for the second. ...Should he also use icing? Would it stick better if he did? Maybe some white icing...

He's trying to keep it on the dress, but some of it might seep through to her back.]

[She waits, patient, as she feels him press each gumdrop button to the back of her dress, but the icing comes as a surprise as it seeps through her dress. It’s cold, as if he were pressing ice to her skin if she had any, and she starts with a tiny shriek and a violent shiver.]

Oh—! Eustace?

[She makes a small noise of discomfort and tries to look back at him with worry, and some of the dogs bark with giggles, bickering amongst themselves over whether or not he did that on purpose...]

What was that!?

Edited 2022-12-29 06:17 (UTC)

[He's surprised when she's startled, his hands frozen in mid air with the small tube of frosting in one hand and the gumdrop in the other.]

Ah...

[WHAT DO]

Sorry, it was the icing. Did it get on you?

A little...

[She flushes with a giggle and shrinks a bit, her arms folding around herself. Can gingerbread people get goosebumps?]

It was a just a bit cold, that's all. But is it working? You think this'll stay?

[Please, her biggest fear is not that she is a gingerbread cookie right now. (Well, it is in some ways, but...) It's that her dress will fly open when they're out and about checking on people and expose her gingerbread self because she's not sure how trustworthy gumdrop buttons actually are....

She can hear the slow tapping of paws as a couple of the dogs wander over to check on her, and to sniff at the back of her dress where Eustace is putting it together with their scrutinizing growls before the two of them are staring up at him. The girls, she wonders? It's still nearly impossible to tell which dog is which.]

[He just glances at the dogs.]

Then we would both have the same problem since my shirt is the same way. But...

[He tugs a bit at the gumdrop, and it is surprisingly resilient, pulling the dress back with no sign of being pulled out without a lot of force.]

Even the icing here is already dry... As long as it doesn't get wet it should be fine.

I don't know any other alternatives.

Well, if the snow's anything outside like it is in here, then we might be okay. Least there'll be plenty of icing to go around in case of emergency.

[Though it doesn't feel like she'll need it because she wobbles as Eustace gives the back of the dress a good, hard tug for good measure.

Speaking of the snow...]

We should probably get everything in here cleaned up first... before it dries and it all turns back and it's Eria's hair instead. The dogs can help, too.

[The icing.... Turning into Eria's hair... Oh God.]

Good idea. I need to find Flamek under all this mess. I kept hearing a strange "popping" sound somewhere in the living room...

But your dress is set.

[Briallen and Aerona are actually sticking a few more sprinkles on the hem of Tifa's dress and bark when they are finished. Now she is more sparkly and pretty!!]

Edited 2022-12-29 17:43 (UTC)

... Flamek managed to get into all this?

[How in the world...!?

But she doesn't notice the dogs until they bark for her attention, and when she sees the sprinkles set around the bottom of her dress—they're a little crooked but it's the thought that counts. With a small smile at Eustace in an effort to keep things light, she gasps and leans down to pat the two girls on the head before she gives all of them a twirl to show it off.]

Well... now I feel like a cookie princess.

[Bri and Aerona both bark and tap their front paws on the floor, excited and pleased with themselves, and another thought occurs to Tifa then.]

Actually, before we do that... Eustace, could you get them all to line up?

[Although he's worried about his weapon, he can't help but smile a bit at seeing that twirl.]

Hm?

[A questioning look, but then be looks at them who are mostly at attention before he looks at Cadoc who immediately meets his gaze.]

Line 'em up.

[A deep bark of affirmation before a few more short barks follow. You heard them, like up everyone! Get in order!

And while there was a scuffle between Idris and Ivan again, with Ivan bearing more teeth marks, the dogs line up from youngest to oldest and look at Tifa impatiently. What what??]

[While all of that is happening, Tifa is rummaging through the closet, searching for as many gumdrops, tubes of coloured icing, and wrappers as she can find. As many as possible so that she has an assortment of different colours in her hands when she faces them all—enough for one of each of the dogs.

Aren't they all just the cutest queued up in a perfect line like this!?]

Okay. Youngest... to oldest...?

[Because Idris is still the smallest out of all of them, and then there's Ivan right in the center with the teeth marks sunk into the icing.]

Now, everyone hold still a sec.

[Tifa pauses and turns to Eustace with her collection to share a few with him, red lines over where her nose should be now.]

Figured I could use these to tell them apart. It's easy now, but when they're all running around...

[They all look pretty much the same!?]

[It takes Eustace a moment before he realizes what she's saying and looks at that. Certainly while there are some differences...it's not as obvious when it's basically blobs of icing that likely will get easily marred as they go outside. So he nods.]

It's a good idea, and I can help. Any particular you want to...decorate them?

[THIS SOUNDS SO WEIRD.]

[WELL, WHEN HE PUTS IT THAT WAY, OF COURSE IT DOES.

Even Tifa winces a little bit, but it's not as obvious in her expression. Although it does sound a little strange to "decorate" them, the dogs all seem very excited about the prospect, a few of them trying to wag their tails but instead, they wind up wagging the back half of their bodies.]

Should we let the dogs pick which colour they want?

[Bri barks. Yes! She wants to go first!!!]

[Look, maybe if they keep talking about it and using the terms it'll eventually be normal....ish. Enough.

And of course his precious princess wants to go first—don't look at him like that Eria, he'll dress you up, too.]

We just have to be sure they don't eat any of it.

[HARD LOOK AT IDRIS... But Eustace will take some of the items from Tifa and set them out so the dogs can start picking out what they want so they can start decorating them to make them look more unique...and inadvertently more festive in the process.]

[As she joins Eustace in laying out what they have, she can already see a few of them eagerly wanting to pick out what they want, and Idris even scuffles forward a little, stopping only when Eustace shoots him a look.]

Okay, no fighting. One at a time, alright? Bri first, since she called dibs.

[Unfairly, might she add, but they have to start somewhere.

Bri noses through the small pile, and she looks like she's taking her decision very seriously because she stares at them all...

...

Before she picks out the pinkest, most sugary gumdrop out of the bunch. So sugary that it sparkles like it's covered in glitter.

Soon enough, the others follow, oldest to youngest (of course, Idris needs a couple more warnings as he tries to eat some), and once everyone's picked out what they want—some going for a little scarf wrapper decorated in some pattern, others going straight for the gumdrops, while a couple take both—Tifa takes a small tube of icing to get to work.]

You know... [She giggles at Eustace, glancing at him with a hopeful expression, as she sticks the pink drop on Bri's neck as if it were a trinket hanging from her collar.] This is... kind of fun...

[He takes another tube to work on the other half of the dogs, an amused smile forming as the dogs try to lick him. They're not as bad as Idris, but it's hard for them to resist.]

A little bit. ...And a bit messy.

[One had moved right as he squeezed the tube so there's icing dripping off them.]

But it looks like the pieces will stay on well.

[Hah, he cracks a smile.]

Should we write the first letter of their names on them, too?

[The dogs bark. Nooooo!!]

[That outburst has her giggling that she accidentally squeezes the icing a little too hard, and she flinches with a gasp as the blue sprays out and splatters across her face.]

That sounds like a no. I think the gumdrops and the scarves are probably enough.

[As she tries to wipe the icing away from her cheek, but she only smears it further, unbeknownst to her. She thinks she got it.

Her eyes flit across the room to where Eria is sitting, watching them, and she smiles.]

... Does Eria want a gumdrop too?

[Eria only turns her head as if indignant! ...But her lightly wagging tail gives her away.]

Knowing her, she'd want some kind of crown or something bright and flashy.

[A wry look over at the wolf before he looks at Tifa...and sees that blue icing. Wife, what is he going to do with you.... But how should he try to clean it? STUBBY HAND...well he'll try to wipe it off carefully.]

I'm sure that we could make—

[She's interrupted by Eustace's hand rubbing against her face, and Tifa turns to look at him, her red icing eyes widening ever so slightly an air of surprise as she, too, starts to rub at the other side with pink cheeks.]

Did I miss a spot? It's so sticky...

If only we weren't gingerbread...

[Just a low mutter because she knows his preferred method of cleaning her up—]

But I think I got most of it... Might want to try washing off the rest, I don't want to...smear things around.

Mm, yeah... It'll be worse if it completely dries, huh...? I'll be right back.

[She pushes herself up to her feet and waddles to the bathroom. There's a moment's silence where she pauses at the sink with her hands over the tap, and she wonders how she's going to turn it on without proper fingers and whether or not it's going to be water or more icing that comes out of the faucet. As soon as she touches the handles though, it turns on like magic, and she heaves a sigh of relief when it's water.

She takes a towel that's now a candy wrapper and runs it under the water, wetting it just enough that it's damp and lifts it to her face to wipe away the little dots of blue that have sprayed across her face. It's starting to wipe it away, so Tifa returns to the room with it still pressed against her face...]

I think I managed to get most of it, but...

[Little does she know, the pink and blue icing has smeared and the gingerbread cookie part of her face has started to grow soggy under the wet cloth and melt away, forming a little crease in her cheek.

She stops just across the threshold when she catches a few of the dogs staring at her as if they've just seen a ghost.]

... What?

[Why is everyone looking at her like that?]

[Eustace notices about the same time and his own eyes widen.]

Tifa—

[He is IMMEDIATELY rushing over to her, his hand reaching out to grab hers and pull it away.

No, his eyes...didn't deceive him.]

...Your face, it's...

[...HOW IS HE. SUPPOSED TO TELL HER and he is actually kind of panicking. Or rather doing his best to suppress it but THIS IS HIS WIFE'S FACE THAT'S LOOKING LIKE IT'S MELTING—]

[She gasps when he snatches her hand away...]

My face!? What's—

[Her own free one shoots up to touch it and feel around, panic immediately setting in that she had done something terrible to it... And as soon as she feels it—that small indentation where her cheek should be—Tifa feels the pit of her stomach drop like an anvil, and the room's temperature shoots up several degrees.]

Eustace!? What's... what's going on!? Where did my... What happened to my cheek!?

[WHERE IS HER FACE GOING?!?!?? HUBBY? HELP???

Her own panic doesn't seem to help the chaotic choir of barks that the dogs descend to, all of them screaming about mom's face! She's melting!!! Dad, do something!

And she notices that one side of her hand has also started to melt away from the wet rag.]

Oh god!

[And she hurls it to the ground.]

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