livinglot | ⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #1

WELCOME TO THE SHOW!↴

Or, more specifically, Lost Carnival's first 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 open October 5th at 12:01AM EST.
Applications open October 7th at 12:01AM EST.
You can apply as a newcomer or as a "veteran" character who has been in the carnival for up to three years.
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.
Supervisor applications will start being processed a few days after apps open, and will be selected on a competitive basis. If you want a supervisor position, it is best to submit your application as close to the beginning of the application cycle as possible. If you don't get chosen for your desired supervisor position, you will be given time to rework your application to be a regular veteran, or to apply for a supervisor position that is not yet taken.
Lost Carnival could use some additional moderation assistance! If you are interested, please let us know here.

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.

► 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.

► 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?

► 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?

► 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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[Amethyst frowns up at her just too long and too hard to be able to pretend this doesn't bother her. She brushes it off a second later, but -- Jasper always just kind of gets to her? Ugh.

WELL WHATEVER. She takes the opportunity presented by Jasper leaning down like that to pat her briskly on the side of the face with one of her big purple paws.]

Hey, look, OJ, you know if you didn't act like this all the time other people might actually like you? Heh, I know, wild, right?

Your reaction tells me you haven't.

[And yeah, she's not even going to address the first issue. She can tell off whoever she wants for whatever she wants. There are only two people with the authority to boss her around here, and part of her is still annoyed that a Diamond isn't included among them.]

Did you just come to gawk?

Oh! Yeah. Well, we just kind of found it, really. We're pretty sure it's not normally in our town. Or... normal in general.

I think it might be kinda magic too.

No it doesn't! [SHE HAS SEEN ANCIENT GODS REAP THOUSANDS OF SOULS AS THEY TOPPLE BUILDINGS, THANKS]

And I was complimenting!! [she protests, deflating a little more.] ...It really does look useful, and cool, and like something that deserves it...

And I can see how well you're keeping up at that.

[Her highest set of eyes roll upward in exasperation, though it's hard to tell with the coloration. Why are the two supervisors in charge of keeping this carnival safe so irresponsible?!]

Well, if you do see any let someone know if it's not in arm's reach. I already lost track of one earlier in the backyard.

[Oh, children. Tanyuu huffs out a soft laugh and turns her main set of eyes back to the show. She's seen it plenty of times before, but it's still fun to watch.]

It takes a lot of practice, that's for sure! Even if I had been able to when I first arrived, I don't think I could pull off tricks like these. What did your training involve, if I may ask?

Really?

[The weirdness of his appearance doesn't even faze the boy, he just looks curious.]

All mine can do is talk in my head.

"Well... this carnival doesn't work like most places," he explains. "Not everyone who comes in can leave easily. Or... at all, sometimes."

He's quick to add, "Sometimes it just takes a while to be able to get out. I'd suggest just being patient for now."

Edited 2016-10-02 22:13 (UTC)

"Maybe, if you consider being bitten to be cool." Ginko frowns and leans back a little, making sure that the furry thing isn't close enough to try and bite Natsu's face off or something.

"I'm here because this is my job. And it's mad enough about me doing my job that if you poke it, one of us is bound to pay for it."

[At the physical contact, Jasper jerks back upright abruptly. Her own hand goes to her cheek as though she's concerned about something, but then she slowly relaxes and her expression hardens again.]

I don't need people to like me. I just need to finish my time.

[Wow. Sans isn't exactly a soft hearted person, when it comes down to it, but he finds himself a little bit worried. For all he knows, this girl is just going to head on back home when she's done here today, but there's always the chance that she'll end up in the proverbial net.

There's a limit to how much he can or will do about it, of course, but he can offer this much.]

Huh. Sounds like a big job. Well, since you're the one watching out for him... be careful about who you hang out with here, today. This carnival's not too bad, but sometimes people will try to get you to promise more than you can follow through with.

So, uh... keep an eye out, alright? [He taps the side of his skull.] For the little guy.

Edited 2016-10-02 22:22 (UTC)

"Tell me about it," Sans replies in agreement, ignoring the fact that Psii's comment wasn't really intending to agree with him at all. Sans isn't totally stuck in the same place he was three years ago, but its easy to fall back into that way of thinking, like a pair of comfortable old shoes.

Sometimes it really is a problem, he thinks.

"But you know me," Sans says, and this time he's the one to look away, also glancing at the dog as he pats his hand against its skull. "I like to relax."

Oh, okay. Countries, I can get behind that.

So wait, have you been to other planets or something?

[Po rubbed his furry chin for a moment before chuckling.] I guess our two worlds are similar in some ways, not so in others.

[This is just his face, Carly. His face always looks like this. Just like it continues to, now.]

Yep.

[He leans back and crosses his arms behind his head.]

[On another day that comment wouldn't bother him, but today it's been building up. His flash of annoyance is characteristically hard to spot, though.]

Sometimes it's what you don't see what counts.

[Though his petulance right there might be a good sign of it too, though his tone is as casual as ever and his grin is still absolutely present.]

"Miss," a gentle voice spoke from beyond the mirrors, revealing the face of a sandy-haired girl from the mirrors, "are you alright?"

Her upper body comes to emerge from a wall of mirrors, her own reflections showing *only* that, some of them trying not to close their eyes, or even smile, for a brief moment, like a confusing moment when people around one try not to laugh, as they play a joke on somebody.

"A lot of people tend to have problems going in this mirror maze. I'm really sorry for the problems this might have caused."

[His grins widens a little, exposing some extra fang.]

Maybe not both of them at the same time...

Yeah, I will!

_{[She nods, taking the advice to heart, although her smile fades just a little. It was a big job, taking care of Dedenne, but Clemont had entrusted his care to her, knowing she could handle it. Now, instead of looking for him, she'd found herself caught up in all the lights and sounds and sights the carnival had to offer. A distraction can only last for so long; he was probably worried sick about her. It wasn't like she wasn't missing him herself.]}

Um...but I kind of have a problem...

[He tucks his hands on his pockets, his expression unchanging expect for a slight quirk to the shape of his socket.]

Oh yeah? Shoot.

[He prompts her onward without really expecting it will be anything serious.]

( Do Your 'Work' )

[ If you've never seen a peacock throwing knives before, you're in for a treat, because Lord Shen is arguably the finest knife-wielding peacock there ever was. After silently entering the arena beneath a spotlight, a large and regal white bird trailing his long tail-feathers like the train of a robe, he comes to stand in the middle of the ring. After a few seconds of anticipation and at least a little confusion from the audience, music begins to play and the bird begins to move.

He stretches his great wings one after the other, allowing the light to catch and stream through the white feathers, then begins to strut around the arena with them tucked against his back once more, strolling casually. Targets in the shape of various creatures ( including man ) spring up on cue to some music and that's when the real fun begins. In a flurry of graceful movements, Lord Shen flicks his wings and looses several blades of obsidian previously unseen among his pale feathers. They take off the heads or burrow in the hearts of every target that rises or otherwise swoops from the sky. He flips and the fan of his white, red, and black tail spray enough blades to take out a whole line of enemies. The audience who realize a miss could have meant blades in the crowd gasp.

Finally, once the music is over and the targets lay in splinters, the arena darkens to a single spotlight on Shen once more. While doing his best to disguise his panting, the bird looks up among the audience and speaks in a quavery voice: ]

I need... a volunteer.

( Riddle Game )

[ Shen, being something of an intellectual among his kind, always enjoyed puzzles and riddles, but his time in the carnival had made him more than a little obsessive about them; probably to do with all the experimenting he'd been doing with fae magic. The riches within the chests don't interest Lord Shen so much as the problem does.

Nevertheless, there are unmistakable claw marks all over the chest he's circling now. Perhaps you saw him put them there or just heard his tempestuous screaming, but either way, you're close enough now that you've been spotted. ]

You! [ Cries the peacock that's nearly the size of a man, a little hoarse and with his red eyes wide. ] Come here, now!

[ It's all he can do to stay still right now, lifting his head with regal expectation. Of course, should he be ignored or run from, his composure stands fit to snap. ]

( Break Time )

[ Relaxing for Lord Shen usually includes practicing with his guandao, swinging it around him in slow arcs or using as a fulcrum when he plants it in the ground and flips over it. It's a fine show to see, but doesn't really seem to make him very approachable.

He goes on slow walks around the camp grounds, conversing with those that approach him or otherwise beckoning them to come to him ( Lord Shen moves for no one but the Ringleader ). It is a rare occasion of sociability for him, though his geniality is up for debate.

If not that, he is probably inside of his trailer reading, drinking tea, and not in the mood to be bothered. Do so only if you dare ~~or are unfortunate enough to be his roommate. ]~~

(( I am playing Shen as a Showman/Mercenary with the potential to be the Nightrider, depending on how this all goes. ))

Edited 2016-10-02 22:43 (UTC)

I'm lost.

_{[Sorry Sans, it's Serious.]}

I was in the forest with my brother and Dedenne ran off, so I went to chase him but when I found Dedenne I couldn't find my brother again. Then I found this place! But I don't know what to do...I mean, I'm sure Clemont will find me he always does but what if...

_{[Nah. There's no way she'll be stuck here forever. Clemont will definitely find her!]}

[Hinawa may not know anything about magic, but she can tell when a boy's acting up when he shouldn't be. Mischievous smiles, shady looks to see if anyone's watching... yes, this young man seems to be up to no good.]

And just what are we up to today? Having fun?

[Her tone is soft and kind as usual. Don't want to be accusatory right away.]

Hopefully Greg wasn't hoping to get to those games too quickly, because at that moment a somewhat frustrated-sounding voice calls out from a few yards away.

"Excuse me, sorry-- would you mind holding on for a moment? Sorry for the inconvenience, but we've got something of a problem."

[Shit. Naturally it's one thing he absolutely can't help her with. Well, except maybe if he just...]

Hmm. I know the woods around here can be hard to work out at first, until they get to know you a bit better. Relax for a couple hours and they'll open up again. Sure of it.

[That is how it generally works for visitors. After a few hours the forest would let them out again, but it was in the meantime that things could get hairy.]

I'd try the front gate again, in an hour or so. I hear that's the easiest way.

It's alright, I suppose. A bit stressful at times, but that's to be expected with any job.

[He shrugs and lifts his cigarette to his mouth, partially hiding a small grin behind his hand.]

The food's a pretty nice perk, on the occasions that I actually get to eat it.

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⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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break time

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Mirror Maze | Playing as veteran

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Lord Shen | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Veteran | OTA

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Gamer's circle

GAMER'S CIRCLE

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