livinglot | TEST DRIVE MEME #7

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test drive meme

TEST DRIVE MEME #7

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, but will be CLOSING ON MAY 31ST! There is an upcoming game event that is going to make new arrivals during that period impractical.
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, the players agree to it, and it makes any sense contextually.
If you are interested in additional IC and OOC plot responsibilities, consider applying for a Supervisor position. Head Cook, Aquisitioner, and Wardrobe Manager are currently open. Otherwise, we're pretty much down for anything, roles wise.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hmmm? Hmmmm....

[Oh look, he's finally listening. He looks her up and down with a look of "A technician, huh?" that is also suitably unimpressed. Once he's done that he speaks up, his tone incredibly condescending.]

Well, that explains why they're so primitive.

[...Peridot's eye twitches.

For a second, it looks like she's going to start screaming at him, but. She says nothing. Too calmly, she lets the wrench go and makes it hover in the air next to her, while she pulls out a remote control from her pocket, fiddles with a few settings, and presses a button.

Buzzing fills the air, getting louder and louder and louder until--

Two dozen attack drones swarm in the sky above, and start to fire a barrage of lasers at Zim's feet.]

[He's prepared to take this as Victory #2, but that ominous buzzing puts his plan on hold.]

Eh? [His first thought is earth bees, which are unpleasant on their own, but when he turns to see attack drones... Well.

This is not going as planned. (Not that he had a plan to begin with, but you get the idea.)

Zim yells and jumps as the drones fire on him, stumbling to try and avoid them. There's some more screaming before he suddenly turns and launches himself at Peridot this is the best idea ever okay.]

Bwuh--!?!

[Okay well she wasn't expecting that!? He knocks her flat, but she keeps a death grip on the remote control.]

WHAT-- Get off, get OFF OF ME you dim-witted, arrogant little PEBBLE--

[She tries to shove him away by grabbing his face with the big meaty claws on one hand, and tries to rabbit-kick him in the gut.]

[Irkens aren't exactly known for their feats of strength, but that's not going to stop Zim! Which is too bad, because it's a stupid idea. But anyway.]

Filthy, rotten -- [He's trying to grab and pull her hair with one hand while the other goes for the remote control. Sadly the grabbing is enough to dislodge his wig, and on top of that he's weak to kicks to his guts, and he yelps as he lets go of her to grab his stomach.]

-- My squeedlyspooch!

[Peridot immediately seizes the opportunity to roll away and spring back to her feet, cackling like a horrible, triumphant little goblin.]

NYEHheheheheheh, you FOOL! You really thought you could best me? The great and powerful Peridot!? I could annihilate you on the spot, if--

[She stops cold. She boggles at his antennae.]

What in the cosmos are those?

[Zim would like to take a minute and nurse his poor internal superorgan. He just kinda groans and clutches his abdomen, forcing himself to get up.]

That was NOTHING! You have yet to see the full wrath of Z --

[Wait what's she going on about now?]

Eh?

THOSE, [she points aggressively], those twitchy things on the top of your cranium!

[HUMAN SKIN CONDITION HER BUTT.]

[The top of his...

He gingerly touches his head with his hands, realizing his wig is askew.]

[AND QUICKLY FIXES IT.]

NOTHING. YOU SAW NOTHING!!

[Because yelling even louder at her will fix things somehow???]

[A horrible, wicked little grin spreads across her face, because she has caught on to how much this upsets him. She doesn't know what it means, or why it matters, but.]

Oh, I saw. I saw everything. You're not human at all! I knew it!

[Zim just... throws his hands in the air, screaming.]

NO! NO!!! I'M NORMAL! A NORMAL HUMAN! I LOVE EARTH SOOOOOOO MUCH!!

Um, no, you're so obviously not!

[Peridot is so frustrated? Why is he making such a big deal out of this? THE JIG IS UP, JUST ADMIT IT??? YOU LOONY???]

[NNNNOOOOO HIS BRILLIANT DISGUISE IS NO LONGER FOOLING HER. AND PEOPLE ARE STARING.

(Mostly because of all the yelling he's doing, but this is Zim and he's starting to sweat.)

He quits yelling, looking around with an expression of terror, then just. Turns and proceeds to run the fuck away from the crowds, towards a forested area that looks devoid of humans.

This is a tactical retreat, alright. He needs to get back to his base and regroup and then return and blow this place up.]

[Peridot has.... So many questions. But she's also not the sort to bust her tail chasing people down, so all she can really do is stare in weary confusion as this other tiny green person just books it away from her and disappears into the woods. That... Okay. That was something.

She could send the attack drones after him, but somehow it just doesn't seem worth it.

The gem looks at her remote control and fiddles with a few more knobs and buttons.]

Confirming drone settings: Patrol the perimeter of the forest, attack and apprehend target "Zim" on sight.

[NEXT TIME, GADGET.]

[Perimeter patrol is a very smart move on her part, and absolutely terrible for Zim. He makes it into the forest and as soon as he's confirmed that he's alone a microphone pops out of his PAK.]

GIR! I need you to send the Voot Cruiser and - [And there's only static. Zim squints and taps at the microphone.]

Minimoose! Come in! [More static. Zim growls.] Something is interfering with the communication link! Stupid, filthy - RRGH. I'll just have to sneak out of here without the cruiser.

[Which unsurprisingly goes terribly. Wandering through the forest doesn't help any so he tries to make his way back to the crowds, making sure his disguise is good to go, and stealthily head to the exit. Soooo it takes about five or ten minutes before he's apprehended by one of the drones, and as it buzzes him over to wherever Peridot is he's cursing it violently.]

[In all honesty, Peridot hadn't been expecting the drones to come back with anything this soon. Usually when people go into the woods, they're gone for at least a full 24 hours, so she'd gone back about her business and returned back to the bigtop to wait for the nightly show to start.

She's only alerted to Zim's return because of the ungodly amount of yelling he's doing, her ears pricking up at the strange sound of swearing on the wind.]

Huh...?

[She squints up at the sky, and then leans back a little in shock at what she spots. The drone stops and hovers a few feet up off the ground and bleeps triumphantly, still holding on to its captive, while a few other units hover nearby, standing by with their lasers out. Peridot steps forward, hands on her hips, looking pleasantly surprised, annnnd more than a little bit smug.]

Wow. These drones are a lot more efficient than I expected! [Her grin curdles from something pleasant to something wicked and fangy.] How's that for primitive, Zim!?

[This is quickly becoming one of the worst days since he arrived on Earth. Really. The only slightly good thing is that it appears they're pretty much alone in the tent, which means no humans, which means when Zim finally stops flailing he just looks down at Peridot, utterly enraged.]

You want to see advanced?? I'LL SHOW YOU ADVANCED, AND YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU MESSED WITH THE MIGHTY IRKEN EMPIRE!!!!!!

[He is getting far too yell-y for his own good here. As soon as he finished four thin, robotic legs shoot out of his PAK, and from the ends of them fire HIDEOUS GREEN LASERS at Peridot's drones, including the one still holding Zim.]

WOAH!!

[ALRIGHT SO SHE WASN'T EXPECTING THAT AT ALL. Peridot springs backwards and stumbles on to all fours, the tuft at the tip of her tail frizzed out like a frightened cat's.

The drone holding Zim is obliterated, along with two others. The remainder all turn on him and start firing off a return volley of lasers, and it is just UTTER CHAOS IN HERE.

Peridot scampers away on all fours, dives behind a ticket booth, and whips out her radio and starts squawking into it.]

SECURITY! This is an emergency, I need backup at the bigtop! NOW!!!

[Zim, never being great at sticking his landings, hits the ground with a splat face down as his PAK continues firing lasers. But no matter! Two of his spiderlegs stop firing to lift him up, and he goes into full on psychotic Irken Invader mode, cackling madly as the other two legs keep firing.

His main priority now is less the drones and more Peridot, who he skitters after like some gross robotic alien bug. Which he's making abundantly clear that he is, because if he can corner her he's going to get all loomy and reach for his wig.]

NOW, FEEL THE WRATH OF THE GREAT IRKEN ELITE!!!

[In a display that is really far too dramatic for such a terrible disguise, he yanks his wig off and with a squishy noise pulls his contacts out.

Yep, that is one super buggy little green alien.]

ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!!!!

[Peridot dares to peek her head out from around cover for just a split second, squinting critically. Watching Zim skitter around on his spider legs is viscerally horrifying, but it also really makes her wish she still had her own limb enhancers (because that's definitely what she's viewing his PAK as).

It's not that she's entirely defenseless; she has fire breath now, for one thing, but putting herself out in the open in order to use it sounds like a good way to get herself poofed. Ducking back behind the booth, she looks around frantically for something, anything that she can use as a weapon.

Her eyes fall on a big, heavy metal cash box sitting innocently on one of the shelves.]

Wrath THIS, you dirty stinkin' CLOD!

[Yup she definitely just hopped up on the booth counter to scream that, and now she is definitely using her control over metal to fling that heavy box right at Zim's big stupid head.]

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1/3

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Do you want to do a timeskip so she can see his true buggy self?

God yes, please

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You down for me getting one of the security players in here?

Hell yes. 1/2

2/2

RADICAL