livinglot | TEST DRIVE MEME #7

Entry tags:

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!

Threaded | Flat

i. arrival

Why, it's graced a great wizard's neck, of course. It's not just any trinket. I assure you, I care how I look with it a great deal.

[If you happen to be nearby the admission gate, you might find an extravagantly clothed man trying to convince the clerk his necklace is something of value. The problem was, this "great wizard" didn't have the heart to care about much of anything. His appearance meant a great deal, but he didn't look upon the gem with any reluctance. And really, there wasn't much value to it at all.]

Excuse me! Don't you think I look wonderful in this jewelry?

[The clerk is growing very tired, here. Help him.]

ii. mirror maze

[To your great fortunate, or misfortune, you've gone into the maze around the same time Howl's braved it. He's been in it long enough to have gained nearly a dozen reflections, and all of them were... less than flattering. Meant to taunt the man, the mirrors gradually begin to show the quite beautiful man in various less than flattering forms.

By the time you've ran into him, you're more than likely to have encountered him with wrinkles of a man hundreds of years old, another with graying hair and yellow teeth, and perhaps one who's decided not to age himself, but look like he's walked out of a gothic store. Howl is in quite the hurry to get away from them all, slamming into you with a yelp.]

iii. ferris wheel

[Despite all odds, Howl has been a pleasant partner in your ferris wheel seat. He's looked on the stars in a near child-like wonder, raising his hand like if he reached high enough, one would fall. But all calm things must come to an end, because while he's spent all this time with his mouth shut, he can't bring himself to sit still.

In fact, he's sliding out from under the railing to stand in your wobbly little seat. It sure is escalating quickly.] I don't know about you, but I'd like to get down.

[a] -unacceptable. Unacceptable!

[That's a surprisingly deep, aristocratic voice to be coming from a bird. Admittedly, not just any bird. From beak to tailtip he's nearly ten feet long - three quarters of that is bronze-black tailfeathers though, he's not quite four feet tall - and he has the most elaborate plumage. Crest, nuchal cape, saddle feathers, an absolute rainbow of color and pattern, and the handbag (wingbag?) he's got certainly doesn't harmonize.]

I'll have to ration my makeup! Live with nothing but touch-ups! How do these creatures expect me to work when I can't even look my best???

[Is that last directed at you? I think it's directed at you.]

I hope you people at least have tea.

[b] [Time's passed and Tohri's joined as a makeup artist/costume designer, and probably two or three other jobs on top of that. You got a letter this morning. Fine tinted paper, elegantly hand-inked (wing-inked?) lettering, in extravagantly floral, civil writing it begged your indulgence and asked if you would come to X location to do the humble writer the very great favor of allowing him to practice his arts on such a worthy canvas as your face and body.

If you actually show up he's less polite.]

Hmm. I hope this is about my missive. You should have come to me sooner!

a. (arrival)

[Whoever came up with this ticket exchange rate system really should've put more thought into it, Medic thinks. "Anything valuable" is really much too vague, because as far as he's concerned, everything he has on him is valuable, from his glasses to his nice expensive tie (don't be fooled by the tiny dark red splotches marring it — it'll clean up just fine), to the bottled specimen he's flourishing in front of the exasperated, slightly ill-looking clerk right now.]

—Heterochromia with a touch of cataract! Not astoundingly rare, but I just had to have it. It has a very exotic aura about it, doesn't it?

[He chuckles lightly, tilting his head at the bottle. Yep, that sure is an eyeball in there. The more Medic looks at it, the softer his expression gets, almost like he's running his eyes over a very old, well-loved photograph.]

Ah, on second thought... [He pockets the bottle, then starts digging around for something else in his coat pockets 'o terror.] Perhaps something a little less dear. Oh! [He brightens.] I have a few loose molars my friend gifted me, perhaps—?

[And on and on it goes with Medic pulling out one horrific thing after to present to the clerk before withdrawing it, unable to decide on what he wants to part with. Someone desperately needs to step in and play mediator.]

b. (trying to leaf)

[A gentle note to self: when lost in a labyrinthine and possibly even cursed forest, taking your anger out on the local flora and fauna is possibly one of the worst ideas you can come up with. Kicking one of the stouter trees carrying those weird looking glowy fruits was admittedly a childish move (something he'd expect from a brat like Scout), but in the midst of his frustration, what else could he have done? He was lost, aimlessly wandering through a forest that looked less and less like any of the ones he'd ever seen before. If there was anyone around who cared more about the well-being of the plants over his own then, well, let them stop him. He could use the company, even if it was likely to be short-lived and violent.

The moment his foot connects with the trunk of the one closest to him, the branches seem to...shiver. No, twitch? Whatever it is, it's a very strange motion, all jerky rustles and quivers, and there's no breeze in the air to trigger it. His anger momentarily quelled with a new interest, Medic takes a step back to watch the tree curiously—]

AH!

[—and then stumbles back to fall right on his ass when one of the fruits hanging above him is lobbed his way, hitting him square in the face with enough force to knock his glasses off.

Embarrassing doesn't even begin to cover it.]

c. (ferris wheel junk)

I wonder if we can take them home with us.

[It's an idle thought that comes to Medic at roughly the first hour mark. One heart-pounding, stomach-churning hour later and he (and whoever is with him) still hasn't been rescued from the ride. It's pretty— okay, it's really discouraging, what with the whole dying unpleasantly thing still being a very present concern, but he's not minding it too much. The view up here is fantastic and the stars are lovely. His comment comes from the one he's currently picking and poking at from his seat, leaning forward against the guard-rail with his chin propped on one hand while the other continues to prod at the twinkling ball of light hovering above him.

It even makes little noises, sort of akin to wind chimes. He titters a little giggle at that.]

Edited 2017-05-01 01:57 (UTC)

i. TRYING TO LEAF:
[Pearl could not imagine anything more frustrating. Well, that was wrong, she actually could imagine a few dozen frustrating things or people she could be stuck with in all of this. The point was this was currently more frustrating than she was wanting to deal with right now because she was pretty certain she had passed the same large, rainbow colored bush five times now. She wasn't usually so directionaly challenged--but here she was.

Pearl came to a stop once again, in front of the same bush, and practically howled in frustration.]

That does it!

[Pearl loses her cool and, summoning her spear, slashes the bush into tiny, rainbow colored bits. Her ire at the bush passes just as quickly and she slumps down beside a tree, resting her head against her knee.]

What am I supposed to do if I can't even find my way out of this forest!

ii. MIRROR MAZE:
[Pearl had long since lost sight of the creature she had chased after into this place. It was distracting because she could swear she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, but every time she looked all she ever saw was her reflection. At first she brushed it off as sensible -- she was moving through the maze after all.
It made sense that her reflection would move. However, now she could swear it was moving in ways that she wasn't currently. She was also fairly certain she was hearing laughter and whispers.

Her laughter and whispering voice. It unnerved her. She paused at a crossway in the maze, resting her hand on a reflective surface to her left.]

This just doesn't make sense. There is no way that a maze like this should be so big...

"Feeling turned around?"

[Pearl's head snapped up and she looked to her left. Her hand was no longer resting against a reflection of her own palm but pressed against her reflection's chest. Her reflection smirked and Pearl gasped, taking a step back.]

"Little lost Pearl. As always can't find her way in the big ole' world."

iii.WILDCARD
[Find Pearl wandering elsewhere in the carnival? She might look a little sick around the food area, where the scent of food mixes with the sweat and scent of animals. Or maybe you find her looking at a list of performances for a show. She's always appreciated a little entertainment.]

[A] Gamer's Circle

[Will's picked himself out a place to stand and observe humanity, or... well, the people who are walking by, in any case. He wouldn't even know where to start classifying the beings that seem to populate this place, with the occasional lost-seeming mundane human playing games here and there, but they sure are interesting to watch. He's found some fair food to munch on as he stands around, so every time one of the beings running the games calls out to him, he can lift it up with a cheerful grin as a way to politely refuse.

He might play later, right now he's just too fascinated, watching the hustle and bustle of dozens of things he thinks not even Magnus has seen before. It's like Christmas morning right now.]

[B] Not Your Wheelhouse

[So... fun fact? Will doesn't like heights. It's not like he's about to pass out, but he's definitely not exactly happy right now. He is most definitely regretting listening to the smooth-talking being who promised him a 'once in a lifetime' experience. Not that they were lying, but this wasn't how he expected to spend any part of his night.

Still, he keeps his eyes locked on the lightshow above because it is so much better than looking down.]

I guess there could be worse things to look at, if we have to be stuck up here.

[C] Trying to leaf

[There's a way in, there must be a way out. Logic, right? Not that logic exactly explained how an underground cavern led to a forest, but he's honestly seen weirder things. But as he gets deeper into the forest, things don't get more familiar.

They do, however, get more distracting.]

Hello, there. [His voice is soft, and he seems to be speaking to one of the glowing flowers. His voice slowly resumes a normal, conversational tone and volume as he continues chattering to himself.] You're an interesting one, aren't you... man, if Magnus could only see this stuff! This would be a heck of a field trip, assuming I can figure out how I got here... right after I figure out how to get back.

gamer's circle
A carnival wasn't exactly what Adrien had thought he'd find while wandering the streets of Paris on Christmas Eve, but it was just the sort of distraction he needed before going home. He'd never really been to a carnival before either, and so after finding somewhere to get a quick snack (for Plagg, mostly, although he got something for himself too), he was ready to check it out.

The gamer's circle seemed as good a place as any to have some fun, and it doesn't take long for him to try his hand at some of the games. Winning is another story though, with how carnival games are, but it doesn't mean he isn't enjoying himself. With all these people around and things to do, with no one telling him what to do, it's actually some of the most fun he's had in a while, even if he hasn't ended up with an armful of carnival prizes.

When he does see someone win a big prize, though, it catches his attention.

"Wow, you're really good! I can't seem to win anything." Or at least nothing like that.

not your wheelhouse
The rides are next on the list of things to do, and the ferris wheel seems like as good a place as any to start.

It would have been better if they hadn't gotten stuck at the top for so long though. Or at least if there was a way down (not that he was afraid of heights, but he wasn't fond of being stuck either). If he was alone he could do it, but...

At least not being alone means there's someone to talk to, right? So maybe it's a bit of an awkward situation but that doesn't mean they can't try to make the most of it.

"It... looks like we're gonna be stuck up here for a while, huh?" Okay just because he wants to break the silence doesn't really mean he has an idea of what to say, but still. At least he's trying.

not your wheelhouse pt. 2
After the light show from his last ride on the ferris wheel, Adrien wanted to take another look... But rather than ride it again (and risk being stuck there again), why not go up another way? The carnival was big enough that finding a place to transform was a piece of cake, and as Cat Noir he could easily scale the wheel and take in the view like that.

The only thing that would make this better was having company... If only Ladybug were here to watch the stars with him.

mirror maze
The mirror maze is next on the list of things to see, and anyone else in the maze can soon see Cat Noir still near the entrance, not even exploring yet. It seems he's gotten distracted making ridiculous faces and striking poses in the mirrors instead of actually trying to get through the maze. It's fun, okay?

Arrival

[When A2 goes to the amusement park, it's uh, it's a lot different from what she remembers it being. First of all there's no machines. Second of all there's... Weird creatures running around? They seem alive. Like, actually alive, and not machine-alive, and not only that it's they seem sentient and it's throwing her the hell off.

Needless to say, she walks in without a word to the ticket guy because Hey, the other amusement park never made her pay. Also because she would have straight up murdered the machines for parts.]

What the hell is going on here? [Did she somehow get slipped some E-Drugs and her visuals are just glitching wildly?]

Ferris Wheel

[Maybe you're enjoying the ride up, and A2 literally lands on top of your carriage. Or maybe you're below, and 307lbs of solid android metal decides to jump down from a stuck ferris wheel, landing with a pretty hard thump and creating a small dent in the ground. A2 is thankfully fine. In fact, she just sort of dusts herself off afterwards. And then gives whoever happens to be staring a hearty glare.]

What.

[Either way, there's no better way to get a vantage of this place than from the highest point, right?]

A. [Not Your Wheelhouse]

Tsk... [Well, so much for wondering if it was just for dramatic effect. After the first five minutes, Madhuri had to wonder if such a place as grand as this really did spare no expense. Hat removed, she began to fan herself, ankles crossed and tail tapping a rhythm against the cushions.]

What a shame... but I suppose I was a little reluctant to leave the carnival.

[But her lips curled into a smile as she turned to her companion for the evening.]

Shall we play 'I Spy', or would you happen to have a deck of cards on your person, dear?

B. [Admission Fees]

[Nobody gets in for free, he said.

With no gil in her pockets, what was a girl to do to earn some coin for a ticket? Why, the same way she usually did when there were no worlds to save and monsters that needed a good whuppin'. Weaving her hands before her, she pulled together a little ether. She cleared her throat, drew her hands apart and materialized her guitar, a shiny little purple Gibson model.

The bard spent no time in hesitation and began to play. The air itself felt alive from the first note, but that feeling grew stronger as the melody continued to build. When she looked up and threw a smile at a passerby, there was something... strange about it. It was her eyes, first. The limbal rings gave off a soft light, a violet that matched her hair. When they met yours, you couldn't put your finger on it, but perhaps you wouldn't mind putting just a little money into the hat she tossed onto the ground bottom-up. Or maybe your pockets just felt a little too heavy tonight. What's more, perhaps this song was made for you... a serenade, just for you...

Won't you give the woman a little reward for her hard work and drop in some coin?]

[Voice teeeeeeest time and I'm gonna just cp that prompt I used for Madhuri.]

[A] [Goliath is just lurking around in the background. A seven foot lavender dragon-man in a loincloth is hard to miss under the light of the bright moon and there's a terrible lack of cliffs or tall sturdy buildings here, so he's staying back among the trees. This is something better investigated by Elisa or the trio, but he found this place on his own. The skies are different here and the rumble and cry of traffic is loud in its absent. This is not New York.

The people here... Few of them could be taken for gargoyles, though admittedly gargoyle features vary in the extreme, but they would cause as much consternation walking among humans as he would. Could they be Children of Oberon? He's from too early a canon point to have met any himself, but he knows of the lore.

Well. He should not stand out too much, for once. It feels strange to walk out amongst a crowd, not drawing more than a cursory glance. Maybe you saw him lurking, or as he came out into the crowd, or while he's just kind of staring at the admissions clerk because things of value what look, he's a gargoyle, he doesn't do money or large collections of items.]

[B] [Orrrr he's climbing steadily up the stopped ferris wheel, the highest point in the carnival and the best vantage point if he wants to get a look at the lay of the land or start gliding anywhere. His weight is enough that you can feel it in the cars as his big clawed hands and feet land, and while he glances at the cars here and there, mindful of the thought that they could be poorly attached, he doesn't stop unless you call out to him or something.]

∀ ADMISSION FEES.

[This has been one very bad, very bean-filled day (his wig is still a bit crooked), and while for most people the prospect of letting off some steam at a carnival (no matter how mysterious) is a fantastic idea, Zim is only suspicious. And annoyed, and happens to be yelling at the ticket taker.]

Take them! ZIM doesn't want to see another earth bean, ever!

[Yeah, there's an armful of Burrito King burrito beans he's dropped on the counter, along with a little burrito necklace. He is so absolutely done with burritos, and he didn't even like beans to begin with, it's the perfect opportunity to pawn this stuff off and see what this "carnival" is about.

Maybe he can take it over. Supreme Carnival Lord Zim? He's sure Invader Larb doesn't have that on his list of accomplishments.]

∀ GAMER'S CIRCLE.

Garbage!

[Zim's found his way over to the various game booths and, unsurprisingly, was immediately attracted to the one with the guns. Of course, said guns are only cheap plastic things upon closer inspection, and to his horror are not filled with lasers but with water.]

This is an engineering nightmare! Such a weak stream of water would not stand up to even a thin layer of glue and it's parts have clearly been collected from the local cesspool! It's useless! What's the point of all this??

∀ NOT YOUR WHEELHOUSE.

[Getting a good view of this entire mess is a great idea, especially since GIR isn't here to do any information retrieval for him. The ferris wheel appears to offer the highest vantage point, and though it'd be easier using his spider legs to simply climb he's going to do the non-suspicious thing and get on one of the seats like a normal person. Slightly less suspicious is him ignoring whoever he's sitting with, and it's downright suspicious when an extremely advanced-looking helmet-binocular combination comes out of his PAK and attaches to his head. He stands up on the seat, humming and muttering to himself about entertainment slaves and all the filthy grease at the food stands, only noticing that they're stuck after he's had a good, long look.

The helmet disappears back into his PAK and he finally looks around.]

Eh? Why isn't this thing moving?

∀ WILDCARD.

[You can find Zim wandering all over, looking increasingly confused at the carnival sights. A lot of it is unfamiliar or strange or, in his opinion, thoroughly repulsive.]

Egg

The Ringmaster had been very 'excited' to unveil her new incentive for 'teambuilding' and morale. In this case, 'excited' was code for 'pleased with herself.'

Not unrelatedly, Vincent's lack of external enthusiasm was code for a lack of internal enthusiasm.

Not that he was so unwilling that he'd refuse to participate, but protesting was only going to encourage her; he'd been sorted immediately into the blue team, which he was mildly suspicious was a dig at the fact that the only nonblack colours he was wearing were red and brassgold. He kept that to himself too.

Now, 20 minutes later, he was crouched on the floor of the carousel, metal claw braced against the floor and reptilian head cocked as he listened for the melodic chime of some hidden magical egg.

This is it. The moment all those years of Turk training pay off. This is a completely worthwhile use of his skills. Thank you, Ringmaster.

~~Free him~~.

(( i. | mirror maze. ))
[ There is no way in Hell that Chloe is entering the mirror maze. Or anywhere where there is a mirror. Or a reflective surface. He knows how he freaks out when he sees his reflection.

The spirit currently managing the entrance has gotten it into their mind to make him walk through it though, and Chloe is losing his patience (because he hates freaking out). ]

My dear sir--lady--[ Honestly he can't tell. ] I'm sorry but I already said that I have no interest in this so-called attraction.

[ A maze full of mirrors? An attraction? That's a very unfunny joke. ]

(( ii. | gamer's circle. ))
[ Chloe doesn't really know what any of these games are, but somehow he ended up with a water gun in his hands because he was a little bit curious and maybe he said as much.

But now he is completely lost, looking at the water gun in confusion. ]

Pardon, but what am I meant to do with this?

(( iii. | not your wheelhouse. ))
[ As long as the other person stuck in the little box isn't trying to get close, Chlose will do just fine. He has no fear of small spaces, nor of heights. He isn't all that fond of people, though. And, although it should not be all that obvious (unless his current companion is really really good at reading people) that he is not looking on his companion on purpose. He is bored though, so he is wondering what to do about that. It's not like Menas is around to help him back to the ground. Where is that thief when you need him? ]

Edited 2017-05-12 21:43 (UTC)

(( i. | mirror maze. ))
[ Kanata doesn't have much experience with carnivals or mirror mazes, but he's pretty sure mirrors don't usually talk.

A doctor - a unit captain - scared of the dark. That's just so pathetically pitiful. Did you remember to bring your night-light with you in case you need to attend a late surgery? Wouldn't want to slip with the scalpel now, would you?

He tries to ignore the words, but he wonders if the person he's currently with heard them too (He both hopes they did and that they didn't, he's embarrassed and he doesn't want to talk about why he's scared of the dark, but he also doesn't want to think he's hallucinating.)

When he grabs the others clothes with both hands his doctor's attache case knocks against them both, but at least Kanata doesn't notice. (The metal is a bit hard, sorrry.) ]

Hey, hey hey heyheyheyhey, did you hear that?

(( ii. | gamer's circle. ))
[ When Kanata comes across the Gamer's Circle, he's frozen in place and just staring. If one were to look at his face, it should be very easy to see that his eyes are sparkling.

Once he actually manages to speak, his voice is very quiet and just as awestruck as his expression. ]

Is this Heaven?

(( iii. | ~~not~~ trying to leaf. ))
[ Kanata has stopped at the edge of the forest. He reaches out for a tree with hesitation, and stops before he can actually touch it. He retracts his hand, and he grips the handle of the case nervously. Then he tries again, and grasps a leaf. He lets out a little gasp and his eyes are wide as he rubs the leaf carefully between his fingers. It's like he's never touched (or seen) a leaf before.real ]

S-so this is what leaves feels like....

(( i. | do your work: janitor. ))
[ Alp fairly likes cleaning. Perhaps a bit weird for a demon (maybe a dog demon, but not a cat demon, that's ridiculous---at least according to Empusa) but none the less he likes it.

Somebody spilled popcorn all over the ground, and on top of it there's used tickets littered about all over, so Alp has a broom in hand and is pretty happily brushing away with it, sweeping together the popcorn and paper pieces in a pile so he can throw it in a trash bag. (It's such a shame on the popcorn too.) His tail is waving slowly back and forth in a content manner. ]

(( ii. | break time. ))
[ Alp doesn't really need a break, he thinks. He's a dream demon, all he needs is some rest while everyone else sleeps and he can feed off of the energy of their dreams and he'll manage just fine. But he likes company and after being told to go off for a break he goes to the cookhouse. Rather than going to get food though. Instead he calmly jumps up in his cat form beside a co-worker from somewhere at the carnival, and sits down beside them, tail curled around his front paws and his eyes trained on the rest of the tent.

After a few moments, he tilts his face up to the person beside him. ]

Do you think it would be alright if I returned to work now?

(( iii. | wildcard. ))
[ It can be pretty nice at the lake. Particularly when it's still and people are not splashing around so much that the demon (maybe in cat form, maybe in humanoid form) gets splashed by some wayward wave of water when he wasn't paying enough attention to dodge it.

Alp doesn't really mind water but he prefers to not get covered in the thing when he wasn't ready, and he lets out a startled meow (even if he's in humanoid form, yes). And now he's dripping wet with cold lake water. Yay.... ]

Break Time
[The carnival is a magical place. In the worlds they visit, Zangetsu is perfectly invisible to all but the spiritually sensitive, and the carnival workers themselves. But on the carnival ground, he sticks out just like a sore thumb. Or, well, he would. But he’s hardly the weirdest looking creature around. Just your average, every day, completely white teenager.

A teenager who seems to have raided the cookhouse of all it’s raw meat. He’s sound asleep on one of the many carnival games that he’s probably supposed to be running, surrounded by food scraps and chewed bones. A godawful huge sword leans against the counter.

If you want to play the game, or if you’re here to try and get him to move, you’re going to have to wake him up, first.]

Riddle Game
[”Riddles are stupid.” “Treasure chests are stupid!” “The Ringmaster is STUPID!.” These are all phrases you may hear being uttered in a strangely reverberating voice, alongside a loud metallic banging sound.

Yes, someone has used up all his guesses on this bit of treasure, and now he’s trying to strongarm his way into the chest. It’s not working. Zangetsu whacks away at the chest using his sword with all his might, using enough force to push the chest down into the earth. But for all his strength, it doesn’t even leave a scratch. He unleashes a flurry of strikes so fast that they can’t even be seen… but after the dust clears, the box remains untouched.

Mocking him.]

RRrrrrrrRRRRRRRaaagh!! You’re really startin’ to piss me off, you damn box.

[he flips backwards and holds out his hand, pointing with two fingers at the box. With a whirring sound, a red ball of light forms at the tips of his claws]

Wild Card
[Other ideas? Hit me up! Zangetsu is a fighty, wild sword spirit]

A - One Glorious... Return...?

[He was lost before. Horribly lost as he drove upon the path of light held up by the power of his dragon through a nebulous unknown. There was nothing to do but aimlessly drive until Clear Wing suddenly and finally caught a signal.

Yugo surged his D-Wheel toward it until they broke through an exit that led to... right above a lake that totally shouldn't have been there before while the carnival was last around withn this realm. And that is the story of how a white motorbike decked in black and yellow accents ended up in the lake, its rider thrashing his tail in the water with a yelp as the vehicle's bright green engine lights also sputtered out.]
---

B - A Friendship Problem

Rrrrmgh.

I'm not lost again!

[Yugo face was stuck in a frown thanks to many factors, like accidentally sneezing a not-fireball at a stall, getting stuck into another contract because of the resulting damage, and also dealing with the weight of crystals and an unwieldy tail that mysteriously grew during his "trip". What a day and he had yet to find his old trailer with this maze....

Days? Longer? How long had he been missing in action from this place? The teen peered back toward the large and mostly white dragon hovering along at his side, even if they're clearly still in a huff.]

Man it's like something's trying to turn me into you. And I don't wanna be here for too much longer either Clear Wing, it just means I have to wait even longer to see Ri-

[He was cut abruptly short by said dragon roaring with what must've been very pent-up fury into its duelist's fin-like ear.]

What do you mean Rin's all I ever talk about?!

KGRREEEREAAAAAARRRR....!!!

Oiiii...! YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!!!
---

[OOC Note: Fae changes and abilities involved are still up in the air, so threads here will be non-canon.]

[If you've ever seen a pigeon bigger than this, he'd like to hear where. Seriously he's like if a minicar was made of feathers and on bird feet, this white-and-black dove walking delicately among the crowd. He bought entry and tokens with money pulled out of a ziplock bag dripping with seawater, handed over with a deft beak, and now he seems to be trying to decide on which attraction.]

Hey there! Have you been in the hall of mirrors? Those things never sound like fun but I haven't been in one since I was a kid.

Wild Card
[At some point Julien gets out of sight - in the woods, probably - and there's an odd, wet sound. Then he comes back into public view, as a five-five young man in slightly damp clothes, toweling his hair off and squelching in soaking sandals. You can talk to him, or you can circle back to where he was and find his giant bird self lying at rest and raising his neck to look suspiciously at you.]

Yes, hello?

LEEF!
[Julien takes off and wings out over the forest, dwindling out of sight. As you might expect if you're familiar with the Carnival, he's back soon enough, perching in one of the trees and looking, if you can judge birds at all, disgruntled.]

Granddam's not gonna be happy about this.

Edited 2017-05-23 01:32 (UTC)

[The mirror maze sounded much better in theory. A bunch of mirrors! The better to look at himself in! And anyone else in there would see mutiple Taakos, what a treat for them! Everyone wins.

But, after a while, it has definitely lost its shine. He's more pissed off than anything else-- especially because his reflections have turned out to be real assholes. Assholes who don't know how to shut their fucking mouths about certain things.

He's literally seconds away from burning every spell slot he has in a fit of anger when he spots someone in the mirrors who isn't him.]

Uh, hail and well met, my dude. Hey, do you know which way the exit is? I think I made a wrong turn back at, oh...

[He glances back, the Umbra Staff still clenched angrily in his hand.]

... when I first fuckin' decided to come in here.

a. admission fees

[there's an absurdly tall, bright yellow woman at the gate. she's not as tall as she's used to being - going from about fifty foot to seven is a bit of a shock. it's completely enraged her. so has winding up here. yellow diamond started shouting immediately. very loudly. we've got a real winner here, folks.]

VALUE?! YOU DEMAND SOMETHING OF VALUE FROM A DIAMOND?! HOW DARE YOU EVEN--

[she raises her hands, letting off an incoherent scream of rage. yellow electricity starts to crackle around her and she holds out a hand, shooting it at the clerk. yellow mustered up all her power for that one, so it's probably not gonna feel good.]

DIE, YOU WORTHLESS CRETIN! I WILL BRING THE FULL FURY OF ALL THE DIAMONDS DOWN ON THIS PATHETIC PLANET AND TURN IT TO DUST!

b. trying to leaf

[however yellow's rage fit ended, it probably wasn't pretty. honestly, it probably hasn't ended, just moved location. she is absolutely blind with rage. the trees are taking the brunt of it, unfortunately. one will find the first damaged tree with a perfect diamond punched through it.

it just gets worse. there are charred trees from electrocution and some that have just been straight up torn out the ground and snapped to pieces. yellow, of course, can be found in the middle of all this, still having her impressive tantrum.

intervene? shit self and run away?]

[wheelhouse]

[Somewhere far below, a tall yellow lady is screaming about bringing down the fury of the diamonds.

And somewhere far above, is another diamond, curretly stuck on a ferris wheel. She's not bringing wrath down upon anything at all, because she's far too far above the ground to even hear that indignant yelling and far too fascinated with the way the stars seem to be just out of reach. She has of course seen plenty of stars before, but these were playing some sort of trick, gravitational lensing surely, that made it seem like she could reach out and touch them.]

Come here.

[Whoever she's been stuck with this whole time will be beckoned, with one blue hand and a surprisingly gentle voice for someone so tall and imposing.]

I wonder if perhaps though I cannot reach them, you might? This strange festival has many things that are not quite what they seem, these glittering stars too may be one of them.

[gamer's circle]

But what is the purpose of it?

[If anyone else wanted to play an ordinary game of ring toss, presuming normally the rings are faintly glowing solidified smoke in most games, they're going to be waiting a while. There's a very tall blue woman at the front of the line, a small number of tickets in one hand, and a controlled but puzzled expression on her face. The poor being of smoke and fire trying to get her to play is also apparently having to explain what play even is.

It's probably cutting in on his quotas or something.]

To try to win a fake animal? This is ... 'fun'?

[wildcard]

[She'd found the lake a little while ago and hasn't budged from its shore since, sitting carefully on the sand just outside of the reach of the tiny surface waves. The forest hadn't suited her but this, with its almost perfect mirror reflection of the night's sky, suited her just fine. It was tranquil, peaceful..

... She missed her Pearl.]

It's strange that I might find somewhere so full of organic life to be ... peaceful, after a fashion.

[There's no sense Blue is talking to anyone in specific, but she talks to herself often enough and this isn't about to stop anyone from responding if they wanted to.]

Tranquility never lasts. But while it does..

1. Change / Arrival

This body... how odd. When the Ringmaster had deigned to allow Genie a new, more useful form, something allow her to move about independently of a wielder, she hardly expected a shape quite so fetching, and so heavily based in humanoids. Then again, judging by all that she's seen and heard, her newfound resemblance to humanity won't be long-lived.

She sits outside of her trailer, long legs folded beneath her, and she speaks into her radio, her voice dancing warmly, a dark ribbon of melodrama.

"I've been told that this is the public channel. I've a most bothersome request of you, if any present can hear it: there is an act for which I must practice, and it seems I require a partner. Who would care to join me this evening?"

And then she waits, grinning, a Cheshire cat's smile in the dark.

2. Guns

There is a tall, dark form set up in front of the booth of the target-shooting game. She's been there for only a moment, but she certainly seems enthusiastic about it; she slides her long fingers over the wood of the play guns, her skin too shiny in the light from the booth, as though she's formed of liquid metal rather than flesh.

"I wonder if this sort of thing hopes to become a proper weapon when it grows up," she wonders out loud, to whoever's nearby; she's clearly joking, a spark of mischief in her too-blue eyes as she picks the toy weapon up and levels it. "Maybe a hunter's rifle, dreaming to conquer powerful prey with a single blow-- or a revolver, leveled at the head of someone who is fearful."

Threaded | Flat

Howl Pendragon | Howl's Moving Castle

Tohri Nishikikouji

(red) medic | team fortress 2

Pearl | Steven Universe

Will Zimmerman | Sanctuary

Adrien Agreste // Miraculous Ladybug // Newbie