songerein | { bite sized problems}

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{ bite sized problems}

BITE SIZED PROBLEMS

This log is open to everyone and doubles as a "Character Intro" for new characters who were just accepted this round. As a reminder, new characters are welcome to carry over their TDM threads backdated to Gingerbread event and after (27-31) so that they're not really "new" if players wish to do so! Starting fresh is also acceptable.

I. AROUND TOWN

The curse from the witch may have been dispelled, but the magic was strong and remnants of it still remain. A bit of clean-up is required.

A. Gingerbread Revolt. By now many people are likely tired of gingerbread after having to live as one for a little while. However, the witch's magic still lingers and has brought all baked gingerbread to life. While some live out their running trees, others have armed themselves with forks, knives, toothpicks, and—are some wielding a nail gun?? They've begun to rally around various food eateries. While most of them are bakeries, they're also going up against restaurants and even local houses. One might think it would be easy to deal with them, but here's the catch—not only are they fast and can use magic, if one of them is broken they immediately reform into another cookie. That's right, they're just like hydras, and the only way to destroy them for good is to destroy the red candy ball embedded somewhere in their body. It's different for each cookie, and it will change locations if a part of it is broken. They do taste delicious, though.

B. Oven Malfunction. Stoves of all shapes and sizes are also having a rebellious phase, with many malfunctioning in different ways. Some are light and just won't turn on or spit out smoke in people's faces. Others have decided to choose violence and release their fire; throw whatever pots, pans, spatulas, and knives that are nearby; spit out coal, logs, or fire cores; or even explode. Some are even baking out those gingerbread cookies, so stopping the ovens will help fix that problem. While completely destroying them is one way to do it, dreamotion will also go a long way. Using water or ice to douse their flames will help simmer their tempers. Praising the ovens for their hard work and trying to show utmost care will also help. Perhaps some ovens are cranky for being overworked. When was the last time they were cleaned? Just don't sing it Christmas songs—they'll go berserk.

C. Candy Forest. With many requests for fresh new ingredients from the newly formed section of the forest, many will make the short trek over to check out what all is there to find. And yes—everything, everything is made of candy and sweet treats. From taffy grass to peppermint bark lollipop trees to flying marshmallow peeps and snickerdoodle badgers. The problem is, a lot of the "flowers" produce a pollen that permeates through the air and will give anyone who passes through a severe case of sugar rush. Overly excited, faster than usual movements, inability to think straight. The only way to counter this is by eating vegetables of any kind. Eating anything directly in the forest will produce an even greater effect, to the point where someone might start hallucinating and get the giggles. Some folks may need to head in there to help those stuck inside. At least there's nothing dangerous in there…yet.

D. Jumping Snowflakes. Jack Frost briefly stopped by and decided to leave a little gift for everyone to have fun with: giant snowflakes that start at the top of the Tree of Stories and ascend and circle around the town from high up in the sky. Some snowflakes form a stationary pathway for people to walk over. Some will move around and can be controlled by one's will and dreamotion, similar to a magic carpet. Then there's a "challenge" where participants are to jump from one snowflake to the other before it disappears. This trail will lead up to a giant chest that contains a random drop of one of the following:

a special ice crystal that can be used to keep anything cool no matter how hot it is outside and will never melt (perfect for ice boxes)
magic winter beans that will grow any vegetable of one's choice through any hard, frozen soil (but will not grow in warm weather)
a mini snowman that will not melt and will bounce around the house to help keep it clean and add a little bit of snow for fun; will be great when it gets hot as it will produce cooling air
The challenge can be run as many times as a person likes, however they will only be able to receive each special prize once. So after receiving all three special items the first time, their only reward is chocolate silver coins.

II. SHORT STORY HELP

As requested by William Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe, the libraries in the Tree of Stories have gathered various books that everyone will be able to dreamwalk into. Even the books themselves look a bit tattered and more worn than usual, showing signs of the Story Eater's nightmarish corruption. A set of objectives for each chosen story will be given out so everyone will have some guidance, as well as a special amulet to wear that if snapped will immediately eject the dreamwalker out of the story back to Songerein. The Story Eater's minions are in a few of these, and any injuries sustained will carry over. The problems will arise several times so repeat visits will be necessary. For each objective attempted, a unique energy will be generated and captured by the librarians for the writers to use. Completion of an objective is not necessary, but it will give a bigger boost.

A. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Upon entering the story, everyone will be inside the three bears' house…dressed as Goldilocks, regardless of gender. And the three bears are not happy. The original Goldilocks has already gone mad and tore through their home, scaring the baby bear with nightmares. The objectives for this story are:

Help repair the damage by: 1) fixing the kitchen and preparing new dinner for the family (not porridge); 2) fix all the broken chairs; 3) get new pillows and blankets for their beds.
Grab a partner and perform a puppet show for baby bear, preferably with a lighthearted, fun story (players can decide if they are successful or fail in their attempt).
Track down Goldilocks in the woods just outside the house and capture her. Her corruption is mild and casting a sleeping spell or using some kind of sleep aid will help calm her down. Channeling positive dreamotion energy will also help.

This story will increase the Book's proficiency in healing and purifying the Story Eater over time.

B. Three Little Pigs. Upon entering the story, everyone will find themselves in a large brick house and be turned into pigs. Not costumes, not partial, just full blown pigs. Fortunately, they can still "walk" and talk and move around. Clothes are optional (one can either appear completely without, with the clothes they were wearing upon entering, or find some in the closet). The objectives for this story are:

Reinforce the brick house and turn it into a fort. The original pig brothers left behind instructions on how to build cannons, barricades, and traps outside of the house. This can be done magically via dreamotion or through physical labor. Handling a hammer with hooves will be surprisingly easy, as if they all now wield anthropomorphic magic…
The defense is to keep small black wolves made of ink at bay. They will charge at the house without mercy to try and destroy it. Fortunately, they seem to lack much control and can be easily fended off, especially with the traps and weaponry installed.
There is only one big bad wolf, and it looks like the Story Eater is trying to corrupt it. It keeps mumbling about being on a diet and tired of blowing buildings down, yet it staggers on and controls the black wolves that try to attack the house. Help purify the wolf by preparing a special porridge for it to eat. It'll take several bowls and some additional positive dreamotion energy channeled into the wolf.

This story will increase the Book's external sturdiness so that it will not break from external forces.

C. Humpty Dumpty. Upon entering the story, everyone will find themselves dressed as a knight of some kind. There is only a giant, crumbling wall and the ground is littered with eggshells, so be careful walking around. Some eggshells are white but many are an inky black that appear to be melting on the ground. There's far too many to have come from the eggman himself, but said eggman is missing from his perch. The objectives for this story are:

Find the large egg pieces that have bits of clothing and face on them and piece Humpty back together. He'll try to help by calling out and he'll promise he's fine—happens all the time. However—
The Story Eater's minions are around, and they'll form from the black eggshells, create hideous versions of Humpty to try and attack and explode on them like rotten eggs. Handle with care as they are quite dangerous and can inflict severe damage. Better to take them out with ranged attacks.
The minions are coming through the many gaps and cracks in the wall, and one can even hear them scratching through the other side. If the wall goes, this entire story is finished. There are some native knights and other people trying to repair the wall, but dreamotion will help reinforce it. The broken eggshells can be used as bricks and mortar as they will immediately expand and cover the missing areas.

This story will increase the Book's internal defense so that it will not break from the inside.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Gingerbread men going around causing chaos is a new here, even if it's not surprising at all. Since the cookies are dangerous, the traveler takes it upon himself to help defeat them. This is the moment when he stumbles upon a familiar, but not friendly face.]

...The Balladeer.

[Suddenly, the events that happened in Inazuma flash before his eyes and he feels a surge of anger rush through his veins. Aether readies his sword, but then there's more trouble ahead as the cookies defeated before by the other reform.

...This may not be the traveler's best day.]

[Wanderer tenses up and then, without turning around:]

I thought I told you not to call me that anymore. Or did you only agree to that so I would consider trusting you, Traveler?

[That. That is the tiniest bit of hurt? In his tone?]

[Now... that is something that catches Aether completely off guard.]

You... trusting me? What are you even saying?

[And why does the other sound hurt? Since when are they on any good terms?]

Did something happen to you once you left Inazuma?

[He's very confused.]

So you just completely forgot about Sumeru?

I haven't even travelled to Sumeru yet.

[Oh... is this what he thinks it is.]

So... this means I'm from your past.

[That gets him to turn around and, well, he's certainly not wearing his Fatui garb and that sure is an Anemo vision on his chest.

He just gives Aether a Look, mostly to hide his own confusion.]

It was days ago, Traveler. Hardly my past.

[Anemo vision is not something he saw coming either.]

No, you... don't understand. Time works in a really strange ways here.

[He tries to keep his attention at the reforming gingerbread cookies, but at the same time the look that the Wanderer is giving him strikes him deeply.]

The last thing I remember was talking to Yae Miko and planning my journey to Sumeru, then I woke up here. I've been in this world for almost a year now.

And why should I believe that? What's your proof?

You don't have to believe me. I suppose you may find out on your own.

[He doesn't have a clue what would make the other believe him anyway.]

Hm.

[He probably will. But also:]

Where's your flying friend? The nuisance.

She's not here.

[And he misses her, okay.]

...then where is she? She's never far from your side, somehow.

She's not in this world. I haven't seen her for a very long time.

[...okay, the Traveler wouldn't lie about that.

Wanderer just looks at him.]

You're serious. You haven't been to Sumeru.

[Oh. So that makes him believe it?

Well, it's a relief, but also Aether is still confused.]

I'm serious. I have no reason to lie to you, especially when we're here.

[But the cookies won't wait for them anymore. As they reform, they begin to prepare for another attack.]

We'll talk more later! We should focus on dealing with these.

Wha--they're back?!

[What the hell. He just smashed those stupid things. Wanderer rolls his eyes and just leaps up, hovering a bit.]

They're cookies.

Don't forget that we're in a world of dreams.

[Aether swipes his sword at the first incoming cookie.]

Anything can happen here.

No, it can't.

[Because if it could...well. He's pretty sure that not even you could remember him.

He slices a few of the cookies to pieces before jumping down to land and stomp on them even harder.]

Assuming this is a world of dreams to begin with. I don't sense Buer's presence.

[Assuming he even could. If Aether doesn't know anything about Sumeru, Wanderer is going to play up just what he knows and can do.]

Buer?

[Sadly, he's confused hearing the unfamiliar name. A lot has happened in Sumeru, or at least it seems like that to him.

Aether tries to focus on the fight against the vicious cookies.]

But this isn't Teyvat anymore. It's... a completely different world.

So we're in a world of dreams that isn't connected to our own. Is that it?

That's exactly it. There are people from various worlds here.

So we're all outsiders here.

[He's not sure if he likes that.

But there are bigger problems than figuring out if he likes that, such as the cookies that are still trying to attack. One of them has a nail gun. Wanderer doesn't even know what that is and he's wondering why one of them has a nail gun.

He slices them up again before compressing and destroying his vacuum. A few of the candies break, which will help.]

I see. Either way, my name isn't Scaramouche or the Balladeer. I don't care what you call me, just not either of those.

[The candies break and Aether notices that the cookies aren't regenerating when that happens. It looks like that's the way to deal with that.]

I... I'll think how to call you later.

[He needs to think this through... especially considering all the information that he's receiving. And now is not the right moment for that.

Another cookie tries to attack the Wanderer and Aether leaps forward, slashing it and this time he smashes the candy that seems to be the cookie's core of some sort.

And that does the trick.]

[Candy crushing. Got it. He may not be able to aim his vacuum very well, but it's really hard to withstand that sort of thing, so that is what he'll be doing.

Even if it's making him extremely tired.]

Whatever...

[Aether will have a lot of thinking to do, but at least he knows that the other is not an enemy now(?) and that they can work together to deal with the cookies. Thankfully, there's not many of them left and soon enough the last gingerbread man falls and crumbles.]

That should do it...

[And let's a small sigh of relief, before turning to the Wanderer.]

Are you okay?

gingerbread

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