⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #5

[ringleaders]

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: You can read the full premise here. Reserves and Applications are both currently OPEN. You can apply as a newcomer or as a "veteran" character who has been in the carnival for up to three years. In the case of veteran characters, you will need to come up with an explanation of why they haven't been around the carnival recently. TDM threads can be used as game canon after the fact if both characters are accepted and the players agree to it. If you are interested in additional IC and OOC plot responsibilities, consider applying for a Supervisor position. Treasurer, and Wardrobe Manager are currently open. More roles that currently need filling are listed here! 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. Visitors to the carnival comes from many different worlds today, as the ringmaster casts out her recruitment lures. 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 (pictured above) 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. ► NOT YOUR WHEELHOUSE: Sometimes, even magical ferris wheels get stuck. The carnival's particular wheel is enchanted to create a particular out of this world experience - as you pass along the top, you feel as if they are so close to the sky that you can interact with the stars like baubles hanging above your head. Of course, the novelty probably wears off when the wheel is broken and you've been stuck enjoying the light show with some stranger for the last half hour. How are you going to pass the time? ► 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. ► WILL O' WISPS: The ringmaster's will o' wisps have gotten free, and she's asked that everyone keep and eye out and help her reclaim them regardless of their official jobs. Wisps are small creatures that burn both hot and cold and comes in a few different variations of the same basic theme. Handling them physically (or psionically, or magically, for that matter) is difficult due to their near intangible nature. Touching and being around them can result in confusion and a sensation similar to being comfortably drunk. ► 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! ► RIDDLE GAME: For a bit of fun, the ringmaster has left a variety of locked chests around the worker areas of the carnival, each with instructions and a riddle written on their lids. The chest will accept three guesses from each worker before refusing to respond to them any further. If you guess the right answer, the chest will open and you will be rewarded with some manner of fun magical knick knack. If you've run out of guesses, maybe you can conspire with someone else and promise to split the prize? ► CAPTURE THE... EGG?: The Ringmaster likes to keep things exciting for her employees, and this time she's devices a game that mixes an Easter egg hunt with capture the flag. She's hidden various metallic "eggs" around the carnival that chime like bells when people get near, and divided participants into three teams (red, blue, yellow of course.) The carnival has been divided into three zones, and the objective is to gather as many eggs as possible for your team (three points for gold, two for silver, one for copper.) However, when you are in a zone that doesn't belong to your team, if they can snatch off your team flag they can take you to "jail" and confiscate any eggs you may be holding for their team. When in doubt, bullshit the rules! This is a prompt, after all. ► 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!

Comments

Rita Mordio | Tales of Vesperia (Newbie / will match format)

[anti_nonsense]

A: MIRROR MAZE

[Rita isn't sure how, exactly, she ended up so deep inside the mirror maze. The bright lights and colors of the carnival left her disoriented, and when she found herself being approached by game-runners and vendors, evading call after call of "step right up!", her only thought was to get away and out of sight.

She ducked into this building, finding it somewhat quieter than the others. There, she took a minute to breathe and reorient herself, but when she decided to turn back and attempt to navigate her way through the carnival once more... she only found more mirrors in her path. Wasn't this the way back? She was sure she came this way... but then again, was that other path always there? Maybe that was it...

How could she get lost like this? How could Rita Mordio, genius mage, be foiled by a dumb, stupid, attraction? At least none of her friends are around to tease her for it.

Time passes as she presses forward, supposing that if she can't find the entrance, she should at least be able to find the exit. That's only logical. And the maze can only be so big to begin with. It shouldn't take more than a couple minutes to...

Out of the corner of her eye, Rita sees a strange movement, something inconsistent with the reflections surrounding her. Turning a corner, she finds herself face to "face" with... the back of her head!? But it's just a reflection, it can't possibly... no, it's just not logical...

Flinching in surprise, Rita steps back. But when she does, she finds herself stumbling right into another person who just happened to wander in her direction. The unexpected feeling, combined with how wound up she already is, startles her so badly that she spins around and throws a punch at the unlucky stranger, purely out of frightened reflex.]

B: WILDCARD: THE BACKYARD

[Well, she did it. Rita signed a contract with that suspicious woman. She wishes she could say she was confident in the decision, but if anything, she's more wary than ever. This carnival is full of bizarre things beyond her understanding, and she just committed to spending a whole year here. And that's assuming she doesn't get betrayed...

After being shown to her trailer, Rita lingers in the trailer park as she tries to familiarize herself with the area. It's not long before she comes across someone else - presumably another worker - and they end up making eye contact. Rita looks the other person up and down, and in an almost sardonic tone, asks:]

So what's your story?

[The question is a genuine one: she wonders if the others working here are doing so for reasons similar to her, or if their situations are entirely different. However, the way she asks almost sounds like she's expecting a punchline. This whole thing feels like it could still turn out to be one big joke, after all.]

BACKYARD

[starseedling]

[Steven is watering some flowers outside of his trailer, enjoying a moment of quiet me-time. He's a little surprised when the stranger engages him after he casts her a little smile, but he's happy to indulge her!]

I'm Steven!

[He remembers to stop watering a moment later. Never mind that his response isn't any kind of actual story.]

[anti_nonsense]

That's not what I asked. [She sighs. Patience isn't one of Rita's strong points. Still, she goes ahead and clarifies.]

What I mean is... you work here, right? [She seems unsure. On the one hand, he definitely looks weird enough to be in a circus, but on the other, he's a total pipsqueak.] How'd you end up in a place like this?

[starseedling]

Oh...

[Well, okay then, he has to think about that for a second.]

Well... I guess the way a lot of people do? Except, I just signed up myself because my dad ended up getting in debt anyway, and I didn't want to leave him here alone.

Why? Did you sign up because you wanted to, or...

[He trails off, and then gestures helplessly. The signing up that is less consensual.]

[anti_nonsense]

I see... So that's it. [His dad "ended up" in debt... Rita knew those attractions were fishy.]

I'm a magic researcher. And as stupid as all this is, [she gestures at... the whole carnival.] it's clear that there's some kind of magic at work here. I intend to learn all I can about it.

[starseedling]

['Some kind of magic.' Steven can't help but giggle at that, because of how preposterous it sounds after being here a while. The understatement of the century.]

Well, you won't be disappointed if what you wanted to see if magic! The Ringmaster is one of the most magical people I've ever seen, and a bunch of the workers can do their own forms of magic, too.

[anti_nonsense]

She's something, all right... [There's no hiding the skepticism she has towards the Ringmaster, but at the same time... it's not often that Rita meets someone who knows so much about magic that she doesn't. As much as Rita might dislike or distrust her, she actually has to respect that about her. Of course, there's no way she'll ever say that out loud.]

... Wait, their own magic? You mean magic from dimensions other than this one?

[starseedling]

Yeah! There's all kinds of different magics in the multiverse... and a lot of the people here can use stuff from their homes! I'm magic too, actually. But I just inherited that from my mom.

Liiiike... this!

[He summons his magical weapon, a round pink shield with a pattern like a rose vine on it.]

[anti_nonsense]

[That's right... If Rita can still use her blastia magic, it stands to reason that other forms of magic could be accessed here. The possibilities could be endless...

And when she sees that shield appear, her eyes widen.]

Incredible... [She bends over to get a closer look at the shield, poking at it gingerly with her finger.] To materialize solid matter out of thin air... is the shield itself made of magic?

[starseedling]

Uh... I think it's mostly made of light? [The same stuff gems are made out, anyway.] But the light is probably magic light so I guess that's kind of the same thing?

[This isn't the sort of magic he's ever had to seriously study.]

[anti_nonsense]

Light...? I suppose it's possible... [She taps her chin with her finger, considering the information.]

And you said this was some kind of hereditary power? In that case, are you the source of your own power? Or are you able to draw it from an external source?

[starseedling]

[He's never really been in the position to look at gem powers very academically, so hearing her marvel over it is actually sort of cool. He nods, grinning a little, and lifts up his shirt to show his gem.]

It comes from my gem! Which is a part of me, so... I guess it's internal? The gem is the most magic part, though.

[anti_nonsense]

A gem...? [She stares at the jewel in place of his bellybutton, and for a moment, her fingers brush against the red jewel in her own choker. Using precious stones for magic... could that be a commonality between their worlds? But perhaps the similarities end there, if his is literally part of him...]

Then... people on your mom's side were all born with gems like that?

mirror maze

[walkonedge]

Ow!

[ Wait, since when was there someone in front of him? He's quite sure that there hadn't been anyone who had been in front of him when he'd rounded this corner in his own attempt to escape from the mirror maze, so he's also caught off guard when she stumbles right into his path and lands a punch right into his gut.

She definitely packs a punch.

When he's not doubled over in pain, though, he's about to tell her off, to watch where she's going but now that he's managed to take a look at his would-be attacker and notice how frazzled she looks, Yamato pauses - thinks twice. ]

...... You okay?

[ Not the smoothest introduction, but hey, maybe something's spooked her? ]

[anti_nonsense]

[Rita takes a step back from him, hand still curled into a fist, as she finally takes a look at the person she just hit. He doesn't look particularly threatening, but Rita still manages to get offended at his innocuous question. What, does she look like some kind of damsel in distress to him? Ridiculous.]

I-I'm fine! Maybe you should watch where you're going!

[She glares at him, her face slightly red, but after a moment she starts giving paranoid glances at the mirrors around her. That weird reflection she saw... was it his? It sure looked like her own reflection was somehow off, but that's impossible. She must have been seeing things.]

[walkonedge]

[ Well, someone looks offended. Yamato raises his hands in mock surrender, taking half a step back to her one step back, just in case.

Her glare is met with a slight frown though, mostly because woah. She's the one that walked into him?? The maze is weird, with its pathways that seem to loop into each other all the time. At least now he knows that the maze isn't completely empty. ]

I'm pretty sure you weren't in front of me...

[ It trails off when he spots the way that she's giving paranoid glances at the mirrors around her. ]

Something wrong with your reflection?

[anti_nonsense]

No. [She answers curtly.] Of course not.

[Because, obviously, a reflection is just a reflection, and anything "wrong" with it would have to be a matter of perspective. It's common for the human brain to misinterpret certain stimuli, and...

Looking back to a mirror beside her, Rita sees her own reflection, its arms folded and its mouth curled into an amused smirk. Clear as day.

Despite herself, Rita gasps and jerks away from the offending mirror, then points a trembling finger at it.]

Do you see this?!

[walkonedge]

[ He's about to turn back and head back the way he came and try to find another way out of this maze, but his attempt is cut short when he hears her gasp, and Yamato's turning his head to look at the particular mirror she's pointing at.

.... Her reflection is smirking at them both.

His own reflection is missing. ]

Y-yeah.

[ It's instinctive, so he's not thinking about the consequences of grabbing Rita's wrist and kind of heading out really really quickly to get away from that particular corridor of mirrors. A missing reflection and another reflection that has a life of its own? That's definitely magic at work here.

It probably takes all of ten or eleven steps before Yamato stops, realises what he's done and pretty much drops her hand like he's been burned. ]

... Sorry about that.

[anti_nonsense]

[Caught up in the moment, Rita runs with him, but seems to realize around the same time as him that he's holding her hand and that is not okay. When he lets go, she yanks it back for good measure. His apology comes just before she can snap at him over it, and it takes a lot of the bite out of her response.]

... Hmph.

[She folds her arms and tries to compose herself. There has to be a rational explanation for this nonsense... If Rita can just find some logic in this situation, then she can calm the hell down.] This... it has to be some kind of illusory magic.

[walkonedge]

... Magic?

[ He's giving her strange looks. The kind of looks that say that magic isn't real, even if he doesn't look like he's willing to actually verbalise it out. ]

[anti_nonsense]

What? [Rita furrows her brow, not quite comprehending the meaning in his reaction.] What else would it be?

[walkonedge]

... magic isn't real, right?

[ He's looking at her like she's the strange one now. Just because magic doesn't exist in his world doesn't mean it doesn't exist in hers, but of course, that's not something that's going to be coming to mind any time soon. ]

[anti_nonsense]

[Aaand she's glaring at him again.]

What are you, stupid? Of course it's real.

[That's like asking if physics or chemistry is real.]

... says someone who is totally ok with other worlds existing but #nopes at magic

[walkonedge]

[ He looks equally as offended, so no sugarcoating of any sort there. Magic doesn't equal physics and chemistry, okay. ]

Sure, if you mean stage magic.

[ He may or may not be indirectly challenging her to into proving him wrong. ]

[anti_nonsense]

I don't. Seriously, what kind of backwater village do you come from, if you've never seen real magic?

[Her reflection has changed again, though this time Rita's too focused on this guy's apparent ignorance to even notice. It looks back and forth between them, apparently amused at their heated exchange.]