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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... oh, dear me, I don't know if I have one of those anymore.

[By the pout on his face, it's clear he's not making a joke. His hands rustle about hopelessly in his pocket, finding nothing but lint.]

I know I lost my dear, beautiful reflection ... but I haven't the foggiest notion what my soul even looked like! I don't suppose you're able to tell such a thing?

[ The sound of laughter makes Shen's eyes widen as if in interest; in truth, it's a rather dangerous look. Heaven forbid anyone dare to laugh at him. ]

Of course...

[ Comes the reedy whisper. With his mismatched eyes, the Psionic bears a rather unfortunate resemblance to one of Shen's former generals. No more is that impression set in his mind than when the other points out his flaw. He wonders if this will end the same way as it had with the wolf; with a load of Shen's knives buried in his chest.

For now, he joins the troll at the chest, crest slicked back over his head with his annoyance for the both of them. ]

Well? What do you think?

[ He's asking for an opinion, not help - these things are very different in Shen's mind. Little does he know, the riddle is an old and simple one, just not one he's familiar with or particularly equipped to answer:

When is a door not a door? ]

Well, that's good. The less things blow up the better. Usually.

[Let it never be said that Jacky M. Faber doesn't pull her own share. Outside of the tents, she much prefers drumming up interest--it appeals to the showman in her, what can she say--but when there's a job to be done, she'll do it. And even if it ain't her money, there's something satisfying about collecting it all the same.

She's seen a lot in her near-year here at the carnival, so she greets the small little dragon with her sunniest grin.] Well good sir, we do pride ourselves here on being fair, so I'm sure--

[Spying the literal pile of shimmering gems the size of the fists of some sailors she's known, Jacky finds herself choking on her own spit, her eyes going wide. 'We could buy a fleet with that, we could,' Little Mary whispers in her mind, and for the first time in a long time Jacky is tempted to listen to the little gutter rat. Oh, surely the Ringmaster wouldn't miss one, would she? It would be like a tip! A reward for excellent service!

Stuck in moral dilemma, she neglects to actually answer the little guy's question.]

Sometimes it's kind of fun though.

[Ψii laughs.]

True! Just don't blow anything up around here. You'll have a lot of people to deal with if something like that happens.

Don't worry, I can take care of myself! They'll have me to deal with then.

[ There's probably only one person in this circus that's as cocksure as Gilgamesh and he's looking right at him. Though at the moment, Ranma is just sort of swaying a little on his heels waiting to know what frankly insane match he's about to get himself into. He seems pretty excited about it. Until he says that. Then Ranma sorts of deflates. ]

Oh...You don't. That's too bad man. I don't really bully the weak. [ Kuno and those jackasses at school don't really count, okay. ] But if you really want to do this, I guess I will. But only because I'm curious as to what sort of prize I'll get when I win.

[ Not if. When. He really is that certain. He has no idea who and what he's talking to. But hey...He's kicked a god's ass at this point, so... ]

I'll even let you go first. You know. Just to make it fair. If you can even grab me that is.

[ Knowing Ranma, he'll probably end up doing what he always does, using his speed to dodge and end up standing on Gilgamesh's head...but he doesn't actually know this guy or his skills, so that really remains to be seen. But he's pretty much thinking this is going to go how it always goes for him. ]

[Near-by, Jacky's hunting her own wisp, a rope net held out before her as she drunkenly lurches after it. Most days, she can deal with the way her stupid limbs and arms have thrown her balance off, but having stumbled into the damn wisp because she'd tripped off the goddamn steps of her goddamn trailer hasn't left her in a mood to be cheerful about it.

She snarls through her teeth as she casts the net and misses. Again.] I don't bloody well know.

[Sans has mixed feelings about the mirror maze. On one hand, it's pretty hilarious that he can navigate it without actually worrying about the maze part, since he's got the landscape of its interior memorized. Even if the layout changes everyday, he can just teleport from place the place and then out again if he feels like it. He has one particular corner he likes to go to when he doesn't want anyone to bother him. And hell, it gives visitors a nice scare to just find a skeleton laying around from time to time.

On the other hand, it's full of mirrors, and his reflections are tricky even in normal circumstances. It came with his changes. The enchantments on the mirrors here don't seem to know what to do with it. His reflection already has a life of its own, so how are they meant to meddle? It's a real pickle.

He stops when he sees a kid just sitting around in the maze, looking kind of like a creep. He hasn't been paying too much attention to newbies that aren't in security, and so it's not someone he really recognizes, as much as they have a passing resemblance to someone else.

Lets not get all conspiracy theorist right off the bat though, hey?

His long boney tail is actually sticking out from beneath his hoodie today, his feet looking like something from a wolf skeleton. As his own reflection comes into view on the same mirrors as the kid's, it observes the dead body and offers everyone a lackadaisical shrug, as if to say "well, what can ya do?" The real Sans is busy giving the real child a mildly skeptical look.]

Dunno... but it's been pretty dead in here all day, huh?

[And yet, those flowers looks so familiar.]

[ He hasn't seen a peacock do this. No. But he's seen a duck do it. Close enough right? And not a big, impressive talking duck either. An actual, literal duck. So when he sees Shin, his mind only goes one place and one place only. Poor bastard fell into a cursed spring. Well, Ranma has the fix for that...not really, but at least he can turn the poor guy back into a person, right? Riiiight??

So when the bird talks...woah. that's never happened before. None of the other cursed animals talked. But okay. He'll go with it... Ranma hops up from his seat and pretty much uses people's heads to go down onto the center ring. He's carrying something. It's a kettle of water. A boiling hot kettle of water. Where did he get it? Who knows. What is he about to do with it. Well...he's going to try and pour it on Shen. ]

I'll volunteer, but I'm going to change you back first.

I'm on break.

[So technically there isn't anything better she could be doing right now. Working on this is better than lazing around.]

If you're not then get back to work.

[Hitting on anyone, huh?

Anyone?

Including this half-skeleton half-horse centaur merc? It'ssss pretty clear something's up, enough that Easel's stopping down out of sheer bafflement despite how honestly he's got his mind on getting at least a few wisps rounded up.]

...Nawww, thanks, pardner -- told ya... I got a lady waiting back home!

[Which is true, but whether or not he's actually told Gilgamesh before is irrelevant.]

Y'all feelin' all right, Treasurer?

[He smiles as she aggressively shakes his hand. Her question doesn't bother him in the slightest.]

I'm a troll... With a few slight modifications.

You're a human?

Yes. Yes the man really just handed his own son over as payment. Ranma looks really really annoyed and is digging through his pockets for something. Anything he can use to pay with. Damn. He'd spent most of his money on takoyaki.

He blinks and blinks again at the sight of the woman who just paid for him. It even takes him a moment to be okay with the fact that she has hooves and he's seen some really really odd things. Maybe it's just really good makeup or maybe she's cursed too. But whatever, she's paying for him and now he's got to pay her back instead.

"You really didn't have to do that you know. I could have found something... But thanks I guess." He sort of smiles and then frowns and looks annoyed all over again. "All the time. But hey, at least it's not another fiancee, right? But don't worry about him. I'll just kick his ass later and it'll all be okay. So just ignore it. Instead...tell me how I can repay you? I mean you did just spend a bunch of money." He had seen he silver. He knows that's got to be a heck of a lot.

[Holy shit.

Ginko stares in utter silence at Kadin for a few seconds, as if letting what he just said sink in.]

The goat was attacking one of the chickens. So you killed it.

[He heaves a sigh and leans toward Kadin, resting an elbow on the fence.]

You know, you might as well be honest about this. Even if I believed you, it wouldn't do you a lot of good.

Uwa! A troll?

_{[Like...fairytale troll? is that what we're getting at here?]}

Uh huh, I'm human. Hey, hey, if you're a troll do you live under a bridge?

_{[Stereotypes, gotta love'em.]}

"I'm sure you would." He manages to get a grip on the rodent's hands and holds them together as he sets about getting a hold of his hind legs, as well. "My theory is that he's cranky because that's just how he is, given that he didn't seem any happier after the last time he got into the trash."

[He shrugs and lifts his cigarette again, letting out a puff of smoke when he speaks.] It's not too big a deal. But I would really suggest keeping a closer eye on, uh - Dedenne, you said? Might be trouble otherwise.

[ Stare.

Staaaaaaaaare.

There is no sign. The panda had talked.

It takes a moment for him to deal with that disconnect. Was she cursed too? Could the old man talk this entire time? Was he just a lazy ass that wrote on signs? Too many questions and it made his head hurt, so he's going to just go with it. ]

Oh... Well, I'd appreciate that. The Old Man sort of dumped me here and went off to enjoy all the food and stuff. I thought you were him and that you were going to leave me behind there like an ass. [ Because all pandas look alike from behind, though his panda usually doesn't wear cloths so that should have been his first indication ] So I really want to look for him so I can kick his ass. He might not be a panda though. Might be an old dude. Wears glasses. Bald. Sort of big. Goes by Genma.

If you help me, I can try to help you too. You're trying to get out of this forest, right?

I will...

_{[She's trying, really. Dedenne's just a fatty.]}

I'm Bonnie. What's your name?

No... Nononono... His heart is going a million miles a second and he is really starting to sweat now. The cat saw him. The cat saw him and is looking at him. The cat is... Okay. Maybe he's just gone insane from his fear, because the cat just talked to him.

In the mirror, his girl type form laughs at him and makes little swipes of her hands like she is already in Neko-ken. She even meows at him, mockingly. He glares at it and sort of backs up more until his back hits another mirror...and the petite red haired reflection behind him.

"S....stuck here too. But st-t-t-ay over there...." At least until he can get a hold on himself. It was pathetic, being such a coward, but phobias were phobias.

[Looking down after feeling something bump your leg and seeing a monstrous skull should be something terrifying; Jacky just grins and drops down to rub the smooth plane between his eyes.] Aw, loo'keh ye! Who's a good dog! Who's a good dog!

[Looking back up at Sans, she grins at him.] 'lo, Sans! Ain'cha supposed to be workin'?

Lucky for you I'm on break too.

[Smile.]

So, what you working on.

No. I live here. In a trailer.

Do you live under a bridge?

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⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #1

But You Gotta Put In Work Work Work

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Admission

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Wisps

And I See My Reflection

Work - I'm so sorry

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Will O' Wisps

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who can resist petting a pupper? not jacky

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