livinglot | ⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: HEARTSTONE MANOR

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test drive meme

⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: HEARTSTONE MANOR

WELCOME TO THE SHOW!↴

CHECK OUT THIS MONTH'S FOURTH WALL EVENT!
MORE INFORMATION BENEATH THE CUT.

In the meantime, 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 (and should) read the full premise here.
Reserves and Applications are 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, 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, Treasurer, and Doctor 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. 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 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.

► TUNNEL OF "LOVE": A brand new attraction in the carnival, the Tunnel of Love is mostly what you'd expect from such a ride - two people sit in a boat together which journeys through some glitter filled caves, complete with mood music. Unfortunately, there is also something else in there with you... in the form a moody kraken living in the waters, who has very particular opinions about shipping, and may either stubbornly interfere with any attempted intimacy, or may politely encourage it. Or they may just generally be a dick if they're in no mood for either. The Ringmaster insists it is a romance expert.

► 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.

► 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!

► DUNK TANK: Sometimes acting like a dick will earn you the gentle reprimand of being sent to work in the Dunk Tank for the afternoon - you know that game where people throw balls at a target, and if they hit it you get dropped into the water? It's like that, only sometimes there are daunting (but harmless) critters in the water, or some other strange magical affects to spice things up. Hopefully, the visitors will have bad aim.

► 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!

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Wow, uh. You guys have your own theology and everything, huh. [Not exactly Rita's area of interest. But at least it tells her that there's probably no point in trying to figure out their true origins... If it's being treated as the domain of faith and tradition, there's probably no one who knows the gritty technical details -- the kind that Rita likes best.]

What I'm really interested in, though, is how you work. You know, like... what kind of metal are you made of? What powers you? That sort of thing.

Well, yes. We're a people, just like humans -- or any race in the galaxy.

[ drift is pretty used to humans not being a huge fan of cybertronians so he's being chiller about this exchange than maybe some of his friends would. he puts a hand to his chestplate. ]

We're made of living metal, and we drink energon for fuel -- but we're really powered by our sparks. [ he taps his chestplate. it looks like there used to be something affixed to it, but it's not there anymore. ] They're sort of like...humans have hearts, right? Sort of like that. They're what truly powers us -- if your spark goes out, you die. But it's more than just an organ. It's like...our soul, too.

[ in case it was not already obvious this dude is a Huge Hippie ]

[Gamer’s Circle/Around]

[ He felt as if he was walking in a dream. Not that the action in and of itself was unusual for him. He may appear as if he’s walked out of a dream himself with his already pointed ears and wolf pelt attached to gilded armor. Normally he would have preferred to travel more inconspicuously, but stumbling upon this place had not afforded him such luxury.

The smoke-like appearance of the booth runners didn’t seem to bother him. In fact, he appears used to it in a strange way as he observes them. Spirits of the Fade of some sort? Though he’s never seen a gathering such as this if that was what he had stumbled upon.

The question he had was did this look the same for everyone around him. The Fade often shifted to suit those that were standing in it, meeting perceptions and expectations with ease. When someone who appears to be more ‘solid’ like him is near, he watches them out of the corner of his eyes and asks, ] What do you see, when you gaze at our surroundings?

[Mirror maze]

[ Curiosity led him here. He stepped through into the maze to see where it might lead in his attempt to learn more about this place and finds himself having more difficulty leaving it than he would care to admit.

It doesn’t help that there’s something amiss. Spirits, magic, some combination of the two were at play here. There’s a distant howl of a wolf and he can see the flickering movements of one in the mirrors, just out sight as if they were stalking him. It has been a long time since he’s been made to feel like prey and his jaw sets tight and firm as he glares at the mirror before him. ]

I am not here to play your games, spirit. [ Because it must be a spirit of some kind. He’s still trying to fit this strange carnival into his view of the world, of what he knows. Something was here that needed to be dealt with, for whatever reason it had chosen to hold this place under its power. ]

Sparks... never heard of that before. [Nor is she familiar with living metal, or energon. She cups a hand over her chin, considering it. While she might not be able to apply this knowledge in her current research, it's still very interesting. But rather than dive right into more questions...]

Right... I guess I should introduce myself.

Rita Mordio. I'm a researcher. You got a name?

A fair, [ Cole answers, as if it's obvious. Don't mind him, just appearing right out of nowhere, in his normal Cole fashion. But there's just a trace of hope in his voice as he looks over at Solas.

This is him. He's here, he feels real, he thinks real, he is real. And Cole is just so happy. ]

It's not right, though. Fairs are supposed to be fun.

[ Cole's only been with the carnival less than a week. But man, he has quickly figured out that one of the mechanics of dwrp is to break the shit out of your characters. ]

Hm? [Rita, a mostly human-looking girl save for the feathery wings behind her, stops and glances at the man who just spoke.] What do I see...? [Weird question. She gives him a doubtful look, like she's trying to figure out if he's a complete weirdo or not.]

I don't know, a bunch of tacky lights and signs? People and spirits wasting their time with a bunch of crappy games?

[It's a good thing most of Rita's work at the carnival is backstage, because she really doesn't do a good job of selling the experience to visitors.]

I'm pretty sure they're unique to Cybertronians.

[ he's got a little cybertronian pride in there, and he gives her a bright smile. ]

I'm Drift. Rita, huh? What do you research?

[ uuuuugh. eleanor starts to look at him with a roll of her eyes. ]

I know it's a carni--whoa, what is with the crazy eyes, dude?

[ WHY IS EVERYONE HERE SO FLIPPIN WEIRD. ]

A side effect of this place's magic, [ Strange explains as if this is a perfectly logical explanation that makes 100% sense. It doesn't, but that's neither here nor there.

Let's go back to talking about the carnival anyway. ]

I recommend either the games or the mirror maze. I don't trust that 'tunnel of love', though it's also apparently popular.

[ Solas appreciates honesty in a time of confusion. There's a twitch in his expression, one hinting at amusement, as he glances over at her. Wings? Possibly another spirit then though he has met very few that wanted to alter themselves from how mortals appear. ]

It is the first I have seen a gathering such as this. I do not feel a tear in the Veil, [ or any other indication that so many people would be wandering around in the Fade, leaving so many spirits unchanged.

He gives her a more appraising look before asking, ] Spirit or human?

[ Because while young, maybe she knows enough to give herself wings while dreaming. ]

[ Fortunately for Cole, Solas is used to spirits suddenly appearing beside him. Particularly when he thinks he is wandering the Fade. It's been far too long since he's seen the spirit and his expression softens slightly as he glances over at him, making sure the voice matches who he expects. ]

No, nothing appears as it seems, [ he muses carefully and turns his attention back to the games being played. ]

Have you been here before, Cole?

[The Veil...? What the heck is he talking about? But more importantly... Rita looks surprised at that question. No one's ever asked her if she was a spirit before.]

Uh, human, obviously. [She folds her arms, but then glances back to her wings... Right. Maybe it's not so clear-cut anymore. So she qualifies that statement with:] Mostly.

[Drift? Weird name. But then again, she probably shouldn't have expected anything normal-sounding from an alien robot.]

Magic, primarily, but technology is a big part of that. I came here to learn about the magical and technological systems of other worlds.

[Looking at their present surroundings, though... the carnival doesn't exactly look like a place of learning.]

Including the place itself, [ he replies. Solas thinks this is the Fade. Cole knows that it isn't. The Fade feels different: this is much more solid, at least to him. After all, he's still Cole here, not the hazy gauzy spirit that he knows he will eventually be.

But, Solas asked a question. So Cole shall answer it. ]

I am here, [ Cole answers, as if that makes sense. He hasn't been here before. But he's currently here and has been here for a week and will probably stay here for much longer. ] But I've been here for a little bit. Not before, just now.

[ He gives the wings another look and raises a brow. Sorry Rita, he's about to talk some more crazy bs again, as is the way of his people. ]

You are a mage of some talent then, [ another assumption on his part, but at least it's a slightly positive one. ] I see few that walk the Fade so aware.

[ Particularly human ones. ]

You sound as if you know its true nature, [ said oh-so-casually. Solas made be an expert in the Fade, but he was not a spirit himself. Cole's perspective was invaluable.

Though his answer is worrying depending on what he says in response to Solas' next question. ]

By choice? [ Solas has yet to sign a contract though he would when presented with one. It would be too tempting. But if the spirits here were bound, forced to be here against their will--

That would be another matter entirely. ]

Magic? [ drift's optics brighten in immediate curiosity. magic isn't really a thing cybertronians believe in, but there is a hell of a lot of mysticism encircling certain aspects of their history and culture, and drift is Into It. ] What do you mean by magic? I mean -- what is it like?

By necessity. The other choice was worse.

[ Which Cole...isn't entirely pleased about. But this isn't being bound. Not really. Besides, he is acutely aware of the fact that it could be worse and also acutely aware of the fact that the carnival needed his help. ]

I don't mind, though. The sky has been fixed and the hurt here shines through.

I am. [She doesn’t hesitate to agree. Rita’s not known for her humility.]

But what does that have to do with anything? The Fade, a Veil... what the heck are you even talking about?

[Actually... hasn’t she heard something about a Fade before? When was that...?]

Well... the nature of magic depends on the system. But generally speaking... magic allows the user to manipulate the elements, to interact with and control powers beyond what our bodies are physically capable of.

As for what it's like, well... [It's easier to show someone than try to explain, so Rita holds up a palm and conjures a ball of fire in the air just above it. It's almost effortless, like it's something she does all the time.] It's kinda like this.

[ WHOA, HEY. drift looks suitably impressed and fascinated as the little ball of fire just appears in her palm, leaning in to get a closer look almost automatically. ]

That's incredible -- how did you do that?

Just because they're rigged doesn't mean you can't win, dummy. You just have to know how to play 'em.

[ cheating. she means cheating. ]

[ He nods slowly, understanding partially what Cole meant. Not bound then and there always was another choice far worse. That was often the way of things, as Solas had long since learned. ]

Is this where you are needed most? [ he asks, watching Cole closely.

A spirit of compassion, true to its purpose. Solas could not fault him if he had found where he thought he was best suited. ]

You do not know? [ He stares at her for a long moment as if searching her for any sign of dishonesty. How could a mage not know of the Fade in which they walked or the Veil that kept the waking and dreaming world separated?

Either he knew far less of this situation than he realized or he was being played for a fool. ]

The Fade is a realm of magic, where spirits walk. Mages have a stronger connection to it and can walk it freely while dreaming. The Veil keeps it apart from the rest. [ Another searching look as he repeats, ] You do not know of it?

This is nothing. [Said proudly. She's actually pretty happy to see someone so impressed by her magic, and she gladly lets him take a closer look.]

This particular spell uses fae magic... [Which might not mean a thing to him, so more specifically..] Magic that comes from faeries, like the one running this place.

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⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: HEARTSTONE MANOR

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Solas | Dragon Age | New Arrival

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gamer's circle!

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