⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #2

[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 Acquisitioner are currently open. 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 (NEW): 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? (NEW): 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

Barry Pruitt | OC

[tautness]

gamer's circle
[ The problem with the 'shoot the water guns into the target to try and win a prize' game is that you need multiple people. And Barry kind of wants this stuffed animal that is undoubtedly a reference to a pop culture thing that he doesn't get (what the fuck's a Pokemon, Barry doesn't know, but look at that adorable turtle thing.)

The barker's minimal help in getting people over, so Barry just screws up his courage to do the thing that he really doesn't want to do in the first place...talk to people.

So surprise! There's a pale, skinny, terrified looking man in his twenties who's lightly tapping you on the shoulder. ]

Uh, do you want to play? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, it'd, um, just be nice.

[ his expression is pure "oh my god this is such a bad idea" ]

not your wheelhouse
[ Oh my God he is going to die.

He's stuck here with a person he doesn't know (that's awful) in a ferris wheel (that's also awful) that's stuck at the highest point (THIS IS THE MOST AWFUL OF ALL). Barry's spent the past ten minutes in a state of near panic because what if the wheel breaks, I mean it's already broken to begin with, he doesn't know how he'll take it if he goes plummeting to the ground from here, I mean he has no idea how vampires survive getting smushed, this is awful and horrible and he is going to die.

Needless to say, he's a bit close to hyperventilating as he looks over the edge of the ferris wheel, gets a little bit queasy, then just shrinks back into his seat, making himself look like a tiny ball as much as possible. Less impact = less of his bones to break? Maybe? ]

They are working on this, right? [ he asks, for like the fifth time in the past five minutes. ]

[veinglory]

[His ride companion seems similarly worried, his brow furrowed as he tries to look anywhere BUT down. He's a stout chap with a gray complexion and perhaps most oddly, a Colonial era powdered wig.]

In theory, yes!

[His voice cracks, noticeably. Why did he get on this ride again, in spite of it always seeming to do this?]

(Gamer's Circle!)

[empty_vessel]

Jimmy is taking bite #4 out of his sandwich when Barry goes scouting for people to help him play the water gun game. "You.. *mrph* Sorry. Caught me with my mouth full." He swallows, recoiling again at the intensity of the heat and wiping away a tear. "Wow." Knocking back the last of the milk and dropping the bottle into a trash can.

He looks up then, following to where Barry's indicating. "Oh. The water game over there. You need another player? Sure." Jimmy smiles before standing, carefully wrapping the last bit of sandwich in the paper before tucking it into his pocket. A quick brushoff of his suit jacket before picking up his coat and nodding. "Lead on."

not ur wheelhouse

[friendsnotfood]

[ It's just Barry's luck that, not only is he stuck, but he is stuck with a troll. Thankfully, Toska is just really tall rather than really wide when it comes to being troll-size, but the rest of him -- the claws, the teeth, the horns -- are probably the parts that might make this worrisome. Being stuck up here, being stuck up here with a definite carnivore.

He isn't freaking out, though, so that's a plus. ]

Hmm. Maybe? Are you sure this isn't part of the ride? [ Toska wouldn't know. He's never been on one of these before! Oh well. Time to lean over the edge really far and take a look around. ] I wonder if they'll make us climb back down...

Miko Nakadai | Transformers: Prime

[pullingamiko]

Not Your Wheelhouse

Ferris wheels aren’t exactly Miko’s go-to ride, but they can still be fun sometimes. After all, they may be slow, but she can still appreciate the view… plus, she’s less likely to get sick on a ferris wheel than a roller coaster.

However. The view gets harder to appreciate when the wheel has been completely motionless for this long. Miko has no problem with hanging out up here with a stranger, but this is boring.

After a while, she leans abruptly over the side of the car, making it swing in the air. “Hey, what gives down there! How long’s it gonna take them to get this fixed?”

WILDCARD

((OOC: LIKE MIKO okay no just. Let’s do whatever! I’m very tired as I'm putting this together please bear with me))

[control_freak]

You know, the ferris wheel seemed like a good idea at the time. And there are things about it he does like. The feeling of the wind at this height, for example. And there's something exhilarating about being up so high.

But the view isn't interesting to him for very long, and actually being trapped with another person is... awkward? Or the awkwardness he imagines on the other person's behalf, having someone in their vicinity who doesn't want to talk to them at all. He grabs the rail of the swaying basket on reflex as she leans way out over its edge--

For a second, he thinks she's going to fall.

Or jump?

It's... not clear if it's a relief or a disappointment that she doesn't.

"Is having an answer going to help at all?"

Really, he knows the answer is probably no. But finally saying something seemed better than nothing.

Sam | Until Dawn - Not Your Wheelhouse

[bathingbird]

Ferris Wheels are exactly Sam's thing. She could remember as a child, going on them with her dad and watching as the world got smaller and smaller from up above. She would marvel at everyone below, moving and the brightly colored lights flashing.

Now that she was here, stuck for the the being, she figured she should spend time with the good of the the carnival, new additions to her body aside. And she was riding the ferris wheel with someone she didn't know. That wasn't bothering her, not at all. She didn't mind.

Miko, as she had comehough, to know her, seemed bored and high-strung over the whole thing, she didn't blame her though, soon she'd probably start being worried. She gave a small smile as she spoke. “Hey, Relax. Just drink in the sights. It's not so bad. I remember once being stuck on one of these things for twenty minutes with my dad when I was like six. It was one of the best times in my life.”

Not Your Wheelhouse

[thunderangel]

She grimaces when the car wobbles; it is far too easy to imagine it plummeting to the ground. But the expression passes quickly as she scoots to her side and peers at the ground too.

"I'm not sure they know." Serah watches figures running about at the base of the ferris wheel, leaning back in her seat, "I think we should make ourselves comfortable."

Or at least offer some introductions. She smiles hopefully. "I'm Serah."

Sam | Until Dawn

[bathingbird]

TRYING TO LEAF
She felt like an idiot. Who takes a bargain from some stranger in exchange for money and their father's life? Sam Charleston, apparently. She had no choice in the matter, not really. If she hadn't, her dad would have a bullet hole in his head and her mom would too since the debt would fall to her. Dad was even more of an idiot for being a gambling addict and betting on football games like he had the money to even do so.

So, here she was, covered in thisles and thorns after getting out of the strange and unusual forest. Everything seemed to have a bright glow and she was sure she saw a purple frog in the pond she passed. Favorite color and everything but any animal that was purple besides a chameleon spelled trouble.

She stared at the circus, it was huge in appearance, crazy huge and it looked inviting but she just wanted to go home, be with her friends, go back to college, see that her parents were alright. That her dad wouldn't gamble anymore and put her mom's life in danger too. She knew it was wishful thinking, but she hoped her sacrifice taught want him some sort of lesson.

God, she just wanted to go home. With that in mind, she turned back into the forest. Boots crunching over leaves and twigs as she went. Being wary of her surroundings, a few moments later, her feet caught on a larger branch and she fell to her knees, scrapping them and her palms up on thicker, more harsh twigs in the process. She could already feel the flayed burn on her skin. “Damn it.”

MIRROR MAZE

This is the kind of thing she lived for. Fun house mazes, ferris wheels, games, animals everywhere despite the fact that she didn't like them having to be entertainment for human beings but she had to grow used to it and she would.

She moved through the maze at a slow pace, taking it all in. Her body grew disproportionate in size, grew long, grew shorter than she already was, and fat at that. She was grateful for that extra inch above 4'11 suddenly.

She stopped in front of a mirror that made her slightly shorter and thick, smiling as she made a face, sticking out her tongue and putting her fingers in her new cat ears as she crossed her eyes. Yeah, this wasn't so bad. “I'm acting like I'm ten again. Get a grip, Sam.”

She dropped smile, but she noted that the smile remained on the mirror image suddenly. She blinked, eyebrow raised as she made anothr face, but the smile remained. “Um...okay.”

As she was about to walk away from the strange... thing, she heard it. ”Poor Sam. Daddy ruined your life and now you're stuck here. I bet he doesn't care though, probably glad to be rid of his rally gathering daughter who caused him nothing but grief as a teenager.”

Sam blinked. “Excuse me? Who are you?” She turned around, looking about wildly.

”It was me, dumbass.”

She turned on the mirror image. Feeling a little bit of fear run through her. “Whatever you are. Shut up.”

The smile grew menacing. “But it's true. Isn't it? You mad him so sad and sometimes mad, all the time. Trying to get that vegan menu instated to the high school lunch menu, staging a rally against that kill animal shelter for inhumane ways of disposing animals. You always caused your parents hearts to ache. Sometimes, they thought of sending you off somewhere, just for awhile, until you got your head on straight.”

Sam's mouth set into a grim line. “You don't know anything about me.”

I know, everything about you.”

Sam decided to ignore it and turned on her heel, walking back into the fun house, deciding to look for the way out.

Trying to Leaf

[stillremember]

Riza would have walked right past the girl. The tall yuke was focused on the piece of paper in her hand, where she had been trying to map out her progress. It was a mess of crossed out lines and unhelpful notes. A mysterious container of floating liquid rested in the crook of her elbow. The crystal at the top glowed with a bright blue light.

Hearing the exclamation, she looked up curiously.

"Oh my! Are you all right?"

She ran over, hastily stuffing the paper and quill into her belt and holding the crystal higher to cast a brighter light on the area. As she reached Sam, Riza held out a large feathered hand to help her up.

Jimmy Novak | Supernatural

[empty_vessel]

Wild Card: The angel had been walking them into the reservoir. Water splashing around their ankles and Jimmy at the end of his rope, trying despserately to do something to avert this. The angel wasn't listening to Jimmy, the... guests were going wild, and there was no way this was going to end well. And then he heard something else. Someone else. Offering him a way out. But Jimmy'd signed on to help Castiel. 'Do the Lord's Work.' This? This was something else entirely. If he didn't get while the getting was good, Castiel would drag Jimmy down with him.

So he'd gone. Left Castiel and the... others heading into the water and crashed into a trailer. Gasping and feeling oxygen burn into new lungs as he coughs and gets his feet. His feet. Still wearing the trenchcoat and the suit, but he can fix that. He's still wobbly as he signs his name and shakes the offered hand. A year and a day of service is nothing compared to what he'd gotten away from. Jimmy's turned out to go familiarize himself with the grounds and makes it as far as the Backyard before he needs to sit down. A bench at a set of crossed paths is welcoming enough that Jimmy sinks down onto it to catch his breath and settle.



Wild Card: Jimmy was out. Out and free. And hungry. His last meal had been the burger and fries he'd had with the Winchesters, probably. Which was better left without further examination, really. Wandering around the grounds and trying to get his bearings, since he's gonna be here a while.

The Mirror Maze gets his attention first, until one of the reflections winks at him. Jimmy starts backing away as fast as he can, turning towards the lights and cheering of the Gamer's Circle as a distraction. And then the smells of the Cookhouse reach him. Jimmy doesn't know what they're making, but it smells divine. He's got enough cash to get him one of... whatever it is. Beef, peppers, onions, cheese and enough spice to strip a layer off his tongue, all stuffed into a split hard roll. He wolfs down as much as he can before the heat forces him to stop (and when he goes for the drink, figures out why they handed him milk instead of water.)

He's not coordinated enough to really eat and walk, so weaving through the crowds to find a bench or something to sit on is the best choice. Even if he does stick out by wearing a tan trenchcoat and a black suit in the middle of a carnival.

Gale × OC

[moriturism]

MAKE LIKE A TREE AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE

[ Gale's strategy of angrily stomping around the forests only to end up on the skirts of the carnival over and over again isn't going so well, (un)surprisingly enough. It's also getting on her naturally thin, tense nerves, although to the outside viewers she's just getting quieter and quieter, her eyes filled with violent intent. Considering she's already sporting a few bruises it would be safe to assume she's no stranger to it. For now though, she's content with being irritated all by herself.

At leat until she moves closer to the entrance. ]

MOTHERFUCKERS!

[ Welp, never mind. ]

NO CHILL (WILDCARD)

[ Gale can be found inside the carnival (which she didn't pay to enter to by the black way) glaring at the diverse attractions, the people, the dirt. She's an equal chance hater.

Why would even approach her, seriously. ]

MAKE LIKE A TREE

[osteothropy]

[Sans has been keeping an eye on this process, figuring that someone getting that tense about just the entrance could cause a situation down the line. So it's both a surprise and not when she strides over and screams profanity at the general area.]

Hi there.

[He leans back against the entrance booth, his hood pulled up and over his head, but not enough to hide the dark sockets that form his eyes, or any other part of this mess.]

Foster van Denend | Original Character

[control_freak]

A. Admission Fees

Foster just got here, and already he looks out of place. A skinny, sallow figure the colour of an old cement road. It's really obvious that he's scrawny, because he's not wearing a shirt, revealing a slightly ribby, undermuscled torso and a terrible bandage job on his right arm.

He has something clutched in one hand.

He's also wearing pyjama pants and an international baggage claim under his eyes.

He is not wearing shoes.

Foster runs one hand back through his hair agitatedly--hair that is now swept back very hard from repeated this gestural tic.

"I don't... have anything? I don't have anything. I don't have anything to give you. At all."

Well. He has his pants. He could give you his pants. Do you want those?

B. Gamer's Circle

Once he's finally allowed in, Foster is only really interested in one part of the carnival. He doesn't like games of pure skill. He doesn't like them because he's bad at them, usually--but also because it doesn't tell him anything about anything, no matter what outcome he gets. But carnival games aren't games of skill. They're games of cunning--or luck, depending on how cunning you actually are. That's what's fun. He actually recognises some of these. Or he thinks he does. Jacob's Ladder and darts and milk bottles and things like that. The goldfish bowl game with the rings or balls.

They're not hard, if you know the tricks. That's not what he's looking for.

He wanders the midway, the soft hems of his pyjama pants trailing in the dirt.

No... no... no, no, no....

Dissatisfaction becomes irritation. Irritation becomes frustration. Frustration becomes--

"Isn't there anything new?"

He asks the question like perhaps anyone is listening to him, but he assumes they're not. He turns, though, grabbing the nearest passerby. His blue eyes are bright--eager.

"Do you have anything different?"

C. Wild card!

[Just make something up. Just fucking do it.]

B

[waitingforplayer2]

"Different?"

She's not a fan of the grab, but she's too startled to back away.

"Like... harder?" Yuugi and her have been designing some of the games to present more of a challenge.

And then there's the new one they're designing.

August Marten | OC | VETERAN

[in_an_augustforest]

DO YOUR WORK I

The first thing anyone's see is the cashier at the carnival gates, a kindly and slightly husky man

"You know, if you don't have any money we can always take something of equal value. It's nothin too extreme, just something you believe is to be valuable." August sort of hates this, but rules are rules and he isn't up for breaking them.

DO YOUR WORK II

It's extremely easy for people to be angry at the games the Carnival had. It's a widely known fact that the gamemakers tend to cheat. (They're would be no challenge if they didn't.) Sensing that the player may be a bit pissed off after the game didn't go their way. He tries to calm down the person.

"Hey, calm down now. It's only a game. What's been bothering you lately?" Granted, being a patch is pretty risky work.

DO YOUR WORK III

August exits the Ringmistress' tent after telling her about the next world. (It's a bit pretentious and a little French, but nothing too bad.) The boss is the first to know, naturally. While others can ask him.

BREAK TIME

At the cookhouse, after he's done with dinner, he'll stay at the table. August managed to find a small piece of wood and is slowly whittling away at it. Those that are curious may ask what's he's trying to create, August would be glad to explain.

WILDCARD

[Got something else in mind for my woodsman? HIT ME UP!]

Do Your Work I

[stillremember]

Who had ever heard of monsters dealing with currency? Or talking, for that matter. Rizamelahim had her hammer in one hand well before she neared the gate, her crystal chalice held tight to her chest with the other. In all her years traveling about the world, never had she found a monster stronghold where she was expected to barter her way in. most monsters attacked regardless.

But without Mog to help carry the chalice, she would have some trouble fighting them off, especially if this one called for reinforcements. Warily she slipped the hammer back into her belt, reaching for the bag on her back.

"It can be really be anything?" she asked, pulling up a mental inventory of what items she had with her. Unfortunately most of her things were still in the caravan, left outside the woods she'd entered to get here.

Serah Farron | Final Fantasy XIII-2

[thunderangel]

► NOT YOUR WHEELHOUSE

{ Truthfully, Serah could never get tired of the stars. Stretching out her feet, toes pointed, she beams up at the tiny specks of light, remembering Snow...and Lightning. Maybe she could name a star after each of them! As she tries to divide the stars between her friends - her family - she nearly forgets she isn't alone. }

I'm sorry. We might be able to climb down - { A quick peek over the side puts that idea to rest. } I'm not afraid of heights, but falling -

{ She shrugs, grimacing, before she gives a light laugh. }

My name is Serah. What's yours?

► TRYING TO LEAF

{ A peaceful stroll through the forest sounds appealing, right? Yes, she might be trying to escape, but details. All is well - or as well as it can be - until Serah begins to see strange fruit and flowers that glow like flames. She blinks her eyes a few times, approaching one of the trees cautiously.

Is it hot? There can be no helping Farron curiosity - or their sense of adventure. Serah stretches out a hand to touch the petals, eyes wide with wonder. }

Ouch! { So she has her answer, though it does her no good as she sucks on her burned fingers. } So you want me to go back? I can't. The paradoxes have been resolved, but my sister...

Noel... They need me. { The forest is stubbornly silent and she looks behind her, realizing she has made very little progress though she feels as if she has been walking for some time. }

► WILDCARD

{ Got an idea? Go for it! }

not your wheelhouse

[kingsroads]

[ What are birds ferris wheels, we just don't know. Needless to say, Strange thought that the ferris wheel stopping here was just something it did, not something he had to worry about or out of the ordinary. So he had been looking around, at the stars, at the people down below, taking in the view...when oh. His companion in the car mentioned climbing down.

Huh? ]

Pardon my ignorance, but it's not meant to stop like this? [ Color him surprised. At her laugh though, Strange matches it with a weak yet genuine smile of his own. ]

As for your question, my name is Jonathan Strange--pleasure to meet you, Miss Serah.

Jonathan Strange | Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

[kingsroads]

mirror maze
[ The mirror maze naturally drew him in. Strange had an affinity for mirrors, ever since he leapt through one onto the King's Roads. Why not take the time to explore this maze? But the more he lingered, the more he realized there had to be some sort of powerful magic at work. The mirrors whispered behind him as he navigated through the maze. Norrell never trusted you. He only sent you off to war to get you out of his sight.

Which was interesting--Norrell couldn't have done anything like this. Oh, he was undoubtedly certain that given the chance, his former friend would find a spell to bother him, but this? The man hadn't the imagination. So that left a different English magician (which was quite silly, there were only two of them in the first place) or a fairy (which was all the better in Strange's mind.) Perhaps if he found his way through, he'd learn more about the maker. But it's when the mirrors whisper What sort of magician couldn't bring his wife back? that Strange's thinly-worn patience snaps. ]

I've had enough of this, [ he eventually announces, seemingly to no one but in reality to whatever magician, fairy, or whatnot put an enchantment on the mirrors (for obviously they must be enchanted, what other option is there?). There's a pause while Strange mutters something under his breath, and then very confidently...walks straight into one of the mirrors.

This isn't some magical ~whoooo spooky~ walking through the mirrors. Jonathan Strange, prominent English magician has walked smack dab into a mirror. Forehead smudging the glass, impact giving off a thud noise, this is Strange looking at the mirror, muttering to it, and seemingly deciding to walk straight into the mirror despite the fact that he 100% knows it's there. He backs up, rubbing the spot where his head connected with the mirror as he grumpily mutters, ]

Well that wasn't supposed to happen.

gamer's circle
[ I am from the 1800s and what is this.

Because seriously, Strange has no idea how some of these games work. He's pretty good at guessing some of the ones he hasn't seen before. You roll the ball down the slope and try to get it in the little circle marked '100' or you hit the mole things with a mallet, but how do the mole things pop up in the first place, and so on and so forth. Needless to say, he's been sticking to some of the easier games.

So that's why there's this man arguing with the attendant at the 'toss a ping pong ball into the small cups to try and win a goldfish' booth. Hey, he's got the concept of toss the ball in the cup. It's just the details that he's arguing about. ]

You there! [ and surprise, you're getting dragged into this. Considering that Strange looks rather...well, strange in his appearance with his unkempt clothes and messy hair, you might not want to get dragged into this but sorry friend, you're going to be an arbiter now. ] Settle this dispute for us. Can you squat down to throw the ball or must you do it standing?

[ Both Strange and the attendant look like they're not going to change their position anytime soon. ]

wildcard!
[ eeeeeeey, I am up for whatever! ]

please don't break the mirrors, mr. strange

[atouts]

[ Of all the people in all the universes, across all the worlds, dimensions, and realms the carnival seems to draw from, the likelihood of someone from his very own wandering in had, actually, occurred to Childermass. Knowing magicians, especially the ones he knew, catching a glimpse of Jonathan Strange wandering into the mirror maze does not at all surprise him.

At least, it had looked like Strange, enough to draw him away from wherever he'd been heading before -- as always, on some business of his own -- and follow the man in. He keeps a distance, though, by now knowing the best path through the maze to keep out of sight. To use magic to cloak himself at this range, should this indeed be Strange, might only give him away in a heartbeat.

So he follows normally, though in his own sneaky way, observing without a word right up until Strange walks straight into a mirror.

Oh, he won't laugh at the other magician, but there's no disguising the amusement that tinges his usually deadpan Yorkshire drawl, ]

Not at all, Mr. Strange. That was exactly what it meant to have happen.

[ And one might expect him to appear once he's said something, but, no, he won't. Wherever he's hiding at, he'll linger there yet, still deciding whether he should even reveal that he's honestly, truly there or not. It'd be simple enough to let Strange believe it was just the mirrors playing tricks again... ]

Lapis Lazuli | Steven Universe

[mirrortide]

[A:WHEN WILL MY REFLECTION SHOW WHO I AM INSIIIIDE]

Lapis isn't quite sure how it happened, how this happened, but there's one thing she knows for certain: She needs out. She needs away from this place. Or so she thinks. Her first instinct is to leave the way she came, but with so many reflections of herself staring back at her, she's not really sure where that is. And then they speak.

"Help me!" and "Let me out of here!", and "Please, someone! I'm trapped!" echo around her as other lapis lazulis face her, trapped. Trapped like she was, in a mirror, begging to get out. Needless to say the mind games the reflections are playing on her are working, and working quite well. "Hang on! I'll- I'll get you out! Where's your gem? There's so many of you- don't worry!" Her voice is tinged with panic as she absolutely claws against the glass, trying to find a seem to pull at, to free the other gems so obviously trapped in a mirror as well.

When that doesn't work, when the glass doesn't give, she resorts to more violent means. "I'll get your gem out, don't worry!" One by one, she'll shatter each mirror in a frenzy, until she manages to find where the other Lapis Lazuli gems are. Not that they're there.

[B: Water you doing?]

She sees the small stuffed toy, and she observes the game for a moment. The object is clearly to soak those little targets with water, and honestly that doesn't seem too hard. All she has to do is fill up the thing there until she wins, right? Not hard.

Lapis sends an absolute deluge onto the poor stall to fill up the targets, soaking just about everything completely with the exception of the prizes, undoubtedly damaging something with the force used. That doesn't seem to have stopped her though, and she turns to the shadowy, smokey humanoid thing. "I'll take that one."

Not only has she not actually paid, the damages alone must cost something here. Whoops.

REFLECTIONS

[starseedling]

It's not actually hard to hear the sounds of a ton of glass breaking within the walls of the mirror maze. Steven doesn't even work in this part of the carnival, but he can hear it just as he walks by. Nobody is usually manning the maze except for a sprite that wants admission. Workers don't need to pay for this stuff though, so he starts to enter without much hesitation.

"Hello?" he calls into the twisted corridors, his voice not carrying well with the mirrors in between. "Are you okay?!" Holy geez it sounds like someone is dying in here.

He rushes in deeper, seeing his own reflections start appearing around him. He knows these guys schtick already.

"What are you guys doing?!" he asks his own reflections.

"Not anything!" his reflection replies, crossing it's arms and looking annoyed. "Some blue girl is going nuts in here! Kind of funny, though..."

Blue girl...?

Steven turns from the mirror and starts moving faster. It isn't long until he starts seeing the shattered mirrors and fragments of a familiar gem.

"Lapis! Lapis Lapis Lapis stoooop!" he calls, running after her.

Rizamelahim | Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (Player OC)

[stillremember]

I. Admission Fees

Riza had more than enough gil to get in, but she'd been trying to save up her money for months. She needed to get to Mount Kilanda, and the fare was not cheap, and she hadn't had an opportunity to sell of some of the loot and treasures she had gotten from fighting off monsters recently. The tall yuke had been holding up the line for some time, her crystal chalice tucked under her other arm, glowing faintly.

"I'm telling you, this is worth more than enough gil to get into a fair! This is an extremely valuable magical ingredient that's very difficult to obtain."

In her other hand a square of fabric lay open on her palm, containing what appeared to be a small blob of blue slime.

II. Not Your Wheelhouse

This wasn't exactly what she had been expecting from a ride like this, but it was nice to get the chance to stop and relax for once. When you spend almost all your time alone on the road, you learn to admire the scenery wherever you go, and the sky here was phenomenal.

"At least the view is nice." she comment to her temporary companion, chin propped on one hand with her helmet tilted towards the stars. The chalice on her lap gave off an eerie glow, seemingly reacting to the magic creating the illusion, the liquid inside sloshing about whenever she moved.

((OOC: A brief info post about Riza can be found here, including a link to her canon's wiki.))

[starscheme]

If it's possible for a crow to look unimpressed, Starscream has it nailed. It's pretty hard to sneer with a beak, but somehow, he's making it work.

He tilts his head, fixing a beady little eye on the object. It doesn't look particularly valuable... In fact, it looks downright repulsive. Goodness gracious, he is sick of bartering with these people who don't have the proper scratch to get in.

"And what, pray tell, is that exactly?" he asks, voice oozing with disdain.

Starscream | Transformers Prime | Veteran

[starscheme]

[Note: For these prompts, Starscream is stuck in the form of a hooded crow because he went and done did pissed off the RM real good. So, NO ROBOT HERE. Just a really cranky bird.]

TRYING TO LEAF

So you're trying to run away! Like an obnoxious digital cartoon paperclip, Starscream's here to help you with that. Sort of. More like he's there to stick his beak in people's business and scope out potential allies, or more specifically capable people who are unhappy with the carnival and also have the benefit of thumbs. He's not too picky, at this point.

You've just passed the same damn tree for the fourth time now. Maybe you're getting spooked, maybe you're getting angry. Either way, you'll here an oily voice coming from the branches of said tree, commenting on your current situation:

"My my... a bit lost, are we? Perhaps I can be of some assistance..."

CAPTURE THE EGG

Determined to keep up his streak of being ABSOLUTELY NO FUN AT ALL, this shitty crow has decided to steal the eggs. He isn't even playing?? He's just hoarding them in one of the high-up carts on the ferris wheel, which is dormant at the moment due to it not being a performance week.

Other players are complaining that they can't find the darn eggs anywhere, and perhaps you're having a similar problem. While you're searching, contemplating this problem, that's when you spot this bird flying up to his hidey hole with a heavy gold egg clasped in his talons. Will you confront him? Or will you try to steal the eggs back when he isn't looking?

WILD CARD

Veterans of the carnival will know Starscream to be a nosy, slimy, no good back-stabber who tried to turncoat with the vampires back during the DRACULA WAR. He's also well known for his behavior of skulking around the carnival and spying on people, hanging around the cookhouse and the big top for the sake of listening in on conversations and staring in an unsettling manner at people with his beady little crow eyes, or supplying snarky commentary that no one asked for. HE'S JUST, GENERALLY, not a presence that anyone wants to have around... but he IS technically a carnival worker same as anyone else. It's up to your character how they want to deal with him. His job for now is also being literally everyone's errand boy, so you can feel free to make him help you with various tasks for your job, too. Just don't expect much. He's a crow. His utility is kind of limited.

CAPTURE THE EGG

[osteothropy]

Unfortunately for him, as Starscream returns to ferris wheel, Sans is already sitting in his egg cart looking like he's planning on settling down there for the day. Isn't it infuriating, how he can just show up places?

"Got quite the collection here," he comments idly to the crow. "Gunna raise 'em as your own?"

Twelfth Doctor | Doctor Who Universe

[not_the_question]

New Recruit I. Trying to Leaf:
Of course the first thing the Doctor tries to do when he finds himself exiting a forest he doesn't remember walking through and facing a menacing looking Carnival, is to turn around and go back where he came from. He had enough trouble with "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" thank you very much. He knew he was out of luck, when every time he spent more than ten minutes in the forest, he would find himself faced with the carnival. Though, the forest itself was captivating, and he's going to linger in there for a bit. Because well, shiny, glowy flora are always wonderful and a great distraction.

"Will you look at that!"


New Recruit II. Admission Fees:
Eventually, the Doctor approaches the carnival, because he doesn't have any other choice. When the clerk asks for payment, he looks utterly confused at the concept of paying for something. He really doesn't understand money. It's too confusing trying to remember what currency is useable on which planet at which time. Also, the clerk looks a little... untrustworthy. Give him a minute to dig through his pockets (which are bigger on the inside), he's pretty sure he has something in one of them that will be of use here. He finds a stick, which is worth quite a bit of money on the last planet he was on and he presents it. "Will this do?"

Veteran Worker I. Will o' Whisps
The Doctor has been here about six months now and he thought this would be something he would be exceptional at. After all, he's caught ghosts in the past. However, these aren't ghosts and they aren't human. They're a creature he has never encountered before. After about an hour, he finally manages to sort of capture one using his sonic screwdriver and setting number 5324. But, it's weird. The effect it's having on him, is kind of like that of the Memory Worms.

The Doctor is smiling and being much friendlier than usual.

"Hello there! How may I help you?"

Veteran Worker II. Riddle Game

If there's one thing the Doctor love, it's the challenge of a good riddle. He's already claimed (and won) one chest and now he's stalking the locations of the others, partly to see what the riddles for those are, but also to see what people guess. The size of the human mind is hilarious, so he's entertaining himself with listening to the different answers. If someone is either out of guesses (or nearly out), the Doctor will approach them and offer his services.

"I might be able to help you."

He might even do that without claiming any of the prise, just the challenge of it will be enough.

II.

[in_an_augustforest]

August wonders what exactly makes him look untrustworthy. (Maybe it's just by virtue or being a stranger to an old man that is asking for payment.) He could understand why he would keep his treasures close...

But why a stick?

"I don't think I can do anything with that."