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livinglot2017-07-13 11:02 am
ringleaders) wrote in livinglot2017-07-13 11:02 am
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⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: SUMMERLANDS
WELCOME TO THE SHOW!↴ Or, more specifically, Lost Carnival's test drive meme! This is an opportunity to try out your characters in the setting before you apply, or to put together samples for characters you've never played before. There are going to be options for both new arrivals and veteran characters. Before we get started, let's lay down some details:
CURRENT STOP↴  The Summerlands are an idyllic realm inhabited by a population of former Summer Court fae. Generally speaking, they are a species of magical humanoids with pointed ears, unearthly beauty, sometimes wings, and a penchant for magic associated with the power of the sun and growth. They live a peaceful but uneventful existence here, under the leadership of their ruler, the Summer Maiden. The carnival is visiting here for a couple weeks to recuperate after some serious trouble caused by their last tour location, and for a few days of their stay the carnival grounds will be open, and newcomers/returning members will be drawn in for the festivities. While outside visitors will be restricted to the carnival grounds and will not be able to explore the rest of the Summerlands, there are a few common features the carnival's current location will add to the usual experience. ► THE SUMMER FAE: There will be a mix of randos from across the multiverse summoned in by the Ringmaster, but the majority of carnival visitors are the local summer fae. While not exactly aloof, the summer fae there tend to be somewhat uncomprehending of the problems most mortals face. While they do have a concept of ethics, it is hard to compare to that of most of the carnival's visitors, and their outlook on things tends towards that of a very neutral perspective. Rather than having much interest in war or politics, they are primarily focused on enjoying existence and the celebration of nature. ► THE SUMMER LANDSCAPE: Though the winding forests will still prevent outsiders from leaving the carnival grounds, the shining mountain peaks and architecture of the fae can be seen on the horizon. If you want a better look, the Ringmaster's advice is to sign on as a full member, for the reasonable price is a single year of your life. Those who app in during this TDM's run will be entering the game between Day 140 and onward - when signing your contract, you do not always leave the tent on the same day you entered. Sometimes the Ringmaster will create a time skip that causes you to emerge after festivities have wrapped up for convenience sake, so there is some flexibility as to when precisely you enter the game. NEW RECRUITS↴  You gotta start somewhere, right? These prompts are for characters who are arriving in the carnival for the first time, and who are destined to sign a contract. How they go about that is up to you, but in the meantime they can enjoy the sights and sounds of something truly out of this world. Will you become her most recent hire? ► ADMISSION FEES: After crossing into the carnival's realm and passing through the trees, most visitors will find themselves at the front gate - though not all choose to enter that way. If they enter legitimately, however, they will have to pass by a clerk who will trade admission and tickets for various attractions and rides in exchange for "anything of value." What is of value may seem highly subjective, and so some may struggle to produce payment at first, though in actuality the carnival will take anything from mundane currency to items of purely sentimental value. ► MIRROR MAZE: The mirror maze is a big attraction in the carnival, and stretches much further on the inside than it looks like it will on the outside. It's hard to get through, and what's more, after you've been in there for a while your reflections will start gaining a mind of their own - mostly in order to taunt and distract you with personal information. They don't know everything you know, but they know more than they should, and their mind games can be pretty hit or miss. ► GAMER'S CIRCLE: Almost all of the game booths are organized in a large ring around the Cookhouse, called Gamer's Circle. Your can play just about any carnival game you can imagine here, for a variety of prizes sometimes traditional, exotic, or outright magical. Dart tossing? Got it. That game with the water guns? Got it. Most of these booths are currently manned by humanoid spirits who look like they are made of smoke. If they can trick you into earning debt, they will. ► TUNNEL OF "LOVE": A brand new attraction in the carnival, the Tunnel of Love is mostly what you'd expect from such a ride - two people sit in a boat together which journeys through some glitter filled caves, complete with mood music. Unfortunately, there is also something else in there with you... in the form a moody kraken living in the waters, who has very particular opinions about shipping, and may either stubbornly interfere with any attempted intimacy, or may politely encourage it. Or they may just generally be a dick if they're in no mood for either. The Ringmaster insists it is a romance expert. ► TRYING TO LEAF: No matter where you came from, you seemingly emerged from a forest. Obviously, to get back home you should be able to go back in the same direction, right? It turns out you can't. Worse, trying too hard to get through the wood will result in you getting lost, or turned back to the carnival. The trees here are not normal, and are varying levels of alien, including things like trees with glowing fruit or orange flowers that constantly burn like candles. ► WILD CARD: Anything else you can imagine in this setting! There are a lot of possibilities and you're free to explore them. Check out the rest of the game info or the locations page for additional inspiration. Want to make a starter with your character experiencing their first theoretical change? Go for it! VETERAN WORKERS↴  These prompts are tailored to the carnival's existing employees, the veterans. Odds are they've been here from somewhere between a few months and three years already, and know their way around the block. For them, this is just business as usual - and depending on their attitude towards their job, they may or may not contribute to a few people accidentally getting themselves a contract. Whatever you do, though, don't warn visitors away from the carnival - the ringmaster hates losing business like that. ► DO YOUR WORK: This one's pretty simple - just have your character doing whatever you'd like to have their job be! There is a big list of ideas over here, and you could use this to try things out with a character you intend to be a new arrival, as well. ► BREAK TIME: Whatever you were doing, it's break time! It's time for you to relax however you see fit. Do you enjoy some of the carnival attractions yourself, or is that old by now? Do you hang out in the Cookhouse to get a snack? Do you take a nap? Yolo, baby! ► DUNK TANK: Sometimes acting like a dick will earn you the gentle reprimand of being sent to work in the Dunk Tank for the afternoon - you know that game where people throw balls at a target, and if they hit it you get dropped into the water? It's like that, only sometimes there are daunting (but harmless) critters in the water, or some other strange magical affects to spice things up. Hopefully, the visitors will have bad aim. ► WILD CARD: Anything else you can imagine in this setting! There are a lot of possibilities and you're free to explore them. Check out the rest of the game info or the locations page for additional inspiration. Want to do a performance? Hang out in the Backyard? Choose whatever appeals! |
Gamer's Circle!
He tries not to think about it as he carries some box lunches to some of the workers in the gamer's circle. You know, the real ones, not the ash spirits. ... Do those guys even eat?
But then, he sees someone sitting at one of the games and he drops the stack of boxes, sending sandwiches and chips scattering everywhere.
(Rin's pet pokémon, a Vibrava named Nosh, helps him clean up his mess.)
It couldn't be.
.... Could it?]
D...dad?
1/2
Hearing Rin's voice does get Shiro to stop trying to game the...well, game. He turns his head sharply in Rin's direction, and a moment later he is hopping out of his seat to go over by his son.]
Rin!
[What a tearful reuinion~]
2/2
You missed your curfew!
no subject
Though, no one said the tears would be from pain!!
Because Rin has literally just seen a ghost, he just sort of stands there and looks at Shiro as he comes close, and takes the punch to the head like a CHAMP. That is to say, he falls down and lands on a sandwich. Mustard butt, noice.
But apparently that was enough to break him out of his trance, at least for the moment, and he yells back]
CURFEW?! You crazy old man!! What are you talking about?! Don't you even know where you are?!!
[INTERROBANGS!!]
no subject
Though he'll have to cut through the confusion here, because Rin obviously forgot what he was supposed to be doing. And he looks significantly more demon-ish than he did the last time Shiro saw him, so something must have happened.]
We're at a carnival, obviously. I'm glad you finally got a job, but you didn't have to go this far with it. Didn't I send you down to a grocery store for an interview? How the hell did you go from there to here?
[He's from much farther in the past, bear with him.]
no subject
No shit we're at a carnival! I KNOW THAT! Grocery store?! What are you-- [oh. Oh that.
That was before. Before the carnival, for sure, but also before... everything. Rin's last day to live as a normal person.
He's quieter, now]
... Dad, that... that's really the last thing you remember?
no subject
Especially that last one, that one's really weird.]
Well it's not the last thing, but it was pretty important. I stayed up all night waiting for you, you know. And then I find out you're messin' around at some carnival instead? You're tryin' to give your old man a heart attack, aren't you?
no subject
Rin grumbles and holds his head in one of his hands before finally getting to his feet]
I... no. I should have come home right away--! Hahaha! I'm... I'm sorry. [he can't fake it for long, though, and he looks up at his dad (his REAL dad, not the offbrand version from Portland) with distress in his eyes] .... Actually, I think there's probably a lot we need to talk about.
[BUT FIRST--!
Rin takes a step forward, pauses for a half second, then does something odd for him, something he hasn't done since he was a little kid -- he wraps his arms around Shiro's middle and puts his head into his chest]
no subject
It must be something serious, if you're acting like this. I don't think you've done this since you were in elementary school.
Does it have something to do with all the blue-stuff on you? And the tail?
[Don't think he didn't notice those things. He's pretty sure he knows what it is, but he wants confirmation of that first.]
no subject
Blue stuff...? Oh. [Rin takes a step back and looks at his hands and his bare, reptilian feet] That part came from here -- Carnival shit. Apparently if you hang out with fae too much, it does weird things to you. But that part isn't important.
[he holds out his hand and swishes his tail forward into his palm. He looks at it a bit, strokes his thumb over the short, velvety fur] This part happened at home. After I... [he gives Shiro a sheepish smile] I'm sorry, I know you made me promise, but I had to draw the sword! It was for a very important reason.
no subject
I never told you about the sword, or made you promise anything. I haven't breathed a word about it to anyone in nearly 15 years.
[Though if Rin found out somehow, then something bad must have happened. Because only one other person knows about that sword, and as far as Shiro knows Rin hasn't even met him yet.]
What happened?
1/2
2/2
no subject
He's a mix of emotions now: worried, upset, absolutely stunned, and more. Everything about this is wrong, Rin was supposed to live a normal life! But here he is, and he doesn't look any worse for wear because of it. Well...okay, there's some weird shit going on biologically, but that seems to be more because of the Fae than because of Rin's demon heritage. Shiro has seen half-demons before, he knows what they should look like.]
Rin...
[But most of all, Shiro feels pride. Because for all of his worries, Rin actually turned out alright.]
I'm glad that turned out alright at least, even if you couldn't have a normal life.
no subject
But yeah. The ears, the fangs, the tail, the fire... that could all be chalked up to demon heritage. The rest was fae fuckery]
... It's fine, Dad. A normal life doesn't suit me anyway! [he sheathes the sword and returns to "normal"] .... People have told me all about you. How cool you are, that you were the most powerful Exorcist. So that's what I'm going to do!! I'm going to become Paladin, too!