livinglot | 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

[she should probably feel some sort of shame or remorse about how she's acting out. the thought doesn't even cross yellow diamond's mind, however, though if it had she would've made a note to order pearl to feel those emotions for her.

mid tree-ripping, she stops and casually flings it aside. a lapis. personally, yellow would've preferred an agate, sapphire or even a ruby, but she'll make do. at least the lapis can ruin the planet. yellow'll command her to do it out of spite. she's good at that.

an eyebrow quirks and her lips purse. yellow regards lapis as though lapis was the one who'd been throwing a tantrum.]

When were you assigned this planet?

[that's the only reason lapis would be here, right? of course, the thought that she's in the same situation crosses yellow's mind, but she dismisses it on the ground of not wanting to be on equal ground. in the same ship. she clings to the hope that this is just some weird cosmic bullshit and there will be a ship for her to take and leave.]

I- uh. I was- [Stop stuttering, Lazuli before you're the next one crushed.] I wasn't assigned here. I was- I was taken, and I've been stuck here in this place since.

[There's only about half a second of pause before she tacks on-] Unable to do my job. [... She hasn't even bothered looking for a way out either.]

[yellow diamond's lip quirks in annoyance. she doesn't like being in the same position as something as lowly as a lazuli.]

I will inform the Blue Court of your incompetance. [because she's petty and pissed off.] At least tell me you have some information.

[You know, that might have stung if she had any intention of going back. As it is, Lapis just sort of nods, and ducks her head so eye contact is not mandatory. Also the bonus of looking like she's actually shamed too.]

My apologies, Yellow Diamond. It seems if you break something here or take something without payment, you become trapped in this realm and bound by contract. A magical one, and as far as I am aware, there isn't any way out of it despite my numerous attempts. [At least shes trying to look good.]

The contract is only valid for a year though, which is nothing in for Gems, though! [Lazuli, you need to calm down.]

[how about she drags you back by the hair ya fuck

that being said, yellow diamond seems to calm just slightly at the length of time and the fact lapis has been trying.]

Obviously you aren't trying hard enough. [said with just a VAGUE little pout. she doesn't actually want to ignore the evidence that suggests lapis is right about being trapped and yet doesn't want to acknowledge the fact. it's a delicate balance that only a true tittybaby can strike.]

Elaborate on being unable to use your terraforming.

It's- It's less i'm unable to terraform and more so that the contract prevents me from doing anything that would severely damage this planet. [She toys with the her skirt a little, keeping her head ducked.]

My apologies.

You care about this planet more than your duty.

[filed under: words no gem wants to hear. yellow diamond's tone makes it clear the territory is getting dangerous again.]

What? No! Of course not! It's the magic in the contract itself that prevents me! Not that I don't want to. I hate this place! [... Which isn't exactly a lie, since she does hate being trapped here.]

Watch your tone, Lazuli!

[boy didn't lapis just miss interacting with diamonds??]

Say the truth aloud. Say you no longer care for Homeworld.

[Lapis visibly flinches away.]

That's not true. I miss Homeworld. [... Misses what it used to be. Now nothing makes any sort of sense.] My apologies, Yellow Diamond. I've been away for a long time, and this place has different customs that I've had to get used to.

[you know the one advantage of having ridiculously devoted subjects? it's easy to tell when their gems aren't in it. sure, the ass kissing annoys yellow diamond, but it makes the attitude easy to read. even if they're clearly faking it for the superior's approval.

and... honestly, yellow does enjoy it when she has a chance to watch them squirm.]

Unbelievable. In less than a year you have given up on your duty, your species and your diamond. Only a defective gem would give up so fast.

[Squirming Lapis does, because she doesn't want to be shattered or bubbled or put into another object again, and it's nothing except objective terror at a Diamond that keeps her trying to explain herself.]

I'm not! I swear, it's the magic in the contract, I really can't do anything to this place! I've tried! [... No she hasn't, but hey, she's particularly good at acting.] I would never betray my Diamond!

[MMMTHAT'S SOME GOOD SQUIRMIN'

as much as yellow diamond wants to put lapis in Traitor Time Out by poofing her, lazulis are very valuable. this one may be under blue diamond, but yellow is the only diamond present and also within shattering range. she won't have a choice.]

I will allow you to attempt to redeem yourself. In the absence of Blue Diamond, you are now under my command.

[can she do that??? doesn't matter since she just did that. Because YD is indeed the only diamond within shattering range of her and Lapis is a fucking coward so she'll go along with it regardless.

She quickly straightens her posture and crosses her arms in the normal Diamond salute.]

Yes, my Diamond. Thank you, my Diamond. [Please don't wreck my shit, My Diamond.]

Excellent.

[she almost smiles. how good to have a lapis!]

Begin the terraforming process. I won't hear anymore excuses.

Yes, my Diamond. I'll begin immediately.

[Wings out, and now fucking rocketing away as fast as they can carry her because if she doesn't get away shes going to probably drop fucking dead like a duck in flight.]

TEST DRIVE MEME #7

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