ringleaders: (firebreather)
Lost Carnival Mods ([personal profile] ringleaders) wrote in [community profile] livinglot2016-09-29 10:38 am

⇨ 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!
impulsors: lance, shiro (i know i know i know.)

[personal profile] impulsors 2016-10-05 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"You held off a Galran platoon on your own. I don't think a ferris wheel's gonna be worse than that."

Never mind that these are completely different circumstances and that, whatever else the place entails, the booths look distinctly run down and low-tech. Now's not the time to be uncomfortable -- and so Keith shrugs it off, practical, heading for the main path with his usual careless stride. Booth and tents teeter above forlorn shadows on every side: business, it appears, has not been good.
fortuneglass: credit - haptisms @ lj (OnO)

i mean tbf it's a bird with the mind of a 20 yo woman hurhurhur

[personal profile] fortuneglass 2016-10-05 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
AAAAH! [There's a loud, shrill squawk before the bird falls backward, plummeting on the other side of the tree in a mess of feathers.

A rather large mess of feathers, given that by the time Shiro can look behind it, it's no longer a bird.
] I wasn't staring!! I mean it! I was just resting there!!

[....she hasn't even been accused of anything, has she? What an easily flustered girl.]
missionfail: (orange)

[personal profile] missionfail 2016-10-05 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Jasper lifts the mallet and slams it down on the pad with one hand. The marker flies to the top and the bell rings out in a very satisfying manner. But aside from that she doesn't seem interested in engaging in physical combat with the other quartz.]

I had friends!

[Her scowl settles into something calmer. Tired.]

I don't need to make new ones.
Edited 2016-10-05 23:53 (UTC)
solaris9: (calm)

[personal profile] solaris9 2016-10-05 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"I don't expect you to," Goku said with a matching smile.

This time, he flexed his trigger finger a couple times, trying to get the hang of it so he wouldn't be blasting water with so much force. He settled in and waited for the signal.

Ding!

Music started playing again, but Goku tried to shut it out as he concentrated on aiming for the right spot with just the right amount of pressure on the trigger...
sunflowerfields: (Bye bye baby)

[personal profile] sunflowerfields 2016-10-05 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh! Are these money, too?" Hinawa accepted the tickets. "Thank you so much for your kindness, sir. I hate to admit it, but I'm a little out of my element, here!"

She looks up from her handful of tickets and gets a good look at the carnival close up. The lights, the sounds, more people in one place than she's ever seen in her life.

"...Really out of my element."
otokogi: (stand up now and face the sun)

[personal profile] otokogi 2016-10-06 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know. I thought I was imagining it, but if you can see it too... Hey!

[ He pulls his hand back because honestly, that's a little disconcerting, and leans forward a bit. ]

You should see if you can do it too! It doesn't hurt, I promise.
sunflowerfields: (Just what you meant)

[personal profile] sunflowerfields 2016-10-06 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
Hinawa reached out to take her hand, but paused when the girl withdrew.

"I thought I saw my own reflection making a face at me," She smiled. "What could possibly... be... stranger..."

She had an extra set of arms? No, it had to be a trick, right? It was just an elaborate costume! right?

Well. It would be rude to stare. And she said not to be afraid, so it was only right for Hinawa to try.

"I trust you'll help me out." She smiled again, and took the girl's hand. "It's awfully kind of you to offer!"
otokogi: (then he broke that mold)

[personal profile] otokogi 2016-10-06 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ Mitsuki does see that smile and it's not entirely convincing but the attitude behind it is still a bit infectious. He narrows his eyes but he also lays one arm on the back of the seat so it's more comfortable to keep facing the other guy. He's listening. ]

They won't notice? Is that like the stars, just something about this place? And I don't do what I do for the pay. It's my dream...

[ There's an absence of energy in the end of his statement, though. Dreams are great but not so much when you fail at them. It's possible that's part of why he's still listening. ]
kitchenfistfirechaosstyle: (do not do this!)

[personal profile] kitchenfistfirechaosstyle 2016-10-06 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
[It only seems like teleporting! In truth, it is the wise master's gift to be where he is needed.]

It is not so much the diners I am worried about as the ones who cannot pay their bills, and will find themselves scrubbing dishes. [That's almost not a metaphor, in this circus.]
kitchenfistfirechaosstyle: (fire chaos style true power strike!)

[personal profile] kitchenfistfirechaosstyle 2016-10-06 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
You know me, kid -- where hunger calls, so goes Champloo. Hyahya, ahyahyahya! Boom! [Champloo emphasizes the last word with a punch to the air that does nothing but send a little shockwave rippling out.]
ouiboo: (hesitant smile)

[personal profile] ouiboo 2016-10-06 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
Good idea. Standing in a dark enchanted forest isn't really recommended I bet.

[ He turns back towards the carnival. ]

...Is it safe for a human to eat the food from the carnival?

[ There are all those stories about eating food in another world dooming a person to stay forever. ]
scalpedsociety: (in thought)

[personal profile] scalpedsociety 2016-10-06 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
It's been decent. Not good, not too bad.

;She could be more angsty about this, being separated from her women and forced to cook food for strangers.]
missionfail: (unimpressed)

[personal profile] missionfail 2016-10-06 12:54 am (UTC)(link)
Well over a year. That's how long I've been working on it. Does that satisfy your curiosity?

[A year is nothing in the life of a gem, but it still felt like it's been forever.]
veinglory: (Awwww!)

[personal profile] veinglory 2016-10-06 12:57 am (UTC)(link)
[There's a small spark in his eyes of recognition at the dart, quickly turning to slight confusion when he looks over at the balloons.]

Ah! They have a board of sorts at the tavern in town where they play a game with those. I think the first one they put in was around 1925 if I'm not mistaken? It was quite popular when they first got it! All the local gentlemen had to show off to each other, but they were quite inebriated. It was a bit of a mess when the owner got hit in the leg, and -- oh, I am prattling on. I have seen them, yes, but not with balloons!

[If one has ever wondered what a vampire being very conflicted about a bloody dart wound looks like, they would witness it in the way his face scrunches up slightly.]

... is it safe?
Edited (speeeeelling) 2016-10-06 01:41 (UTC)
intherigging: (uncertain smile)

Trying to Leaf

[personal profile] intherigging 2016-10-06 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
Running pell-mell into the forest...well, in all honesty, it hadn't really seemed like a good idea at the time, either, wisp or no wisp, because the forest was down right odd, and Jacky--being more a sea and city lass--really weren't all that comfortable in the Wilds, let alone the Fae Wilds.

But facing down a giant cat, it really did not seem like a good idea, not at all. "Ah," she squeaked, casting a hand behind her, searching for a nice, climbable tree. "Nice kitty...Pleasedon'teatme."
masterballer: (puts the ass in geni-ass)

[personal profile] masterballer 2016-10-06 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
Not as long as I'm the best!

[He swings around to smirk at her.]

Which will be forever, so you might as well get used to it.
drrdrrdrr: <user name=sways> (iNTERESTING)

[personal profile] drrdrrdrr 2016-10-06 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
[Amethyst raises her eyebrows in surprise as the bell rings... but they go a little higher at what Jasper says next. She leans back on her tail, openly skeptical.]

Yeah... can't really imagine that, sorry.
intherigging: (yep 8])

[personal profile] intherigging 2016-10-06 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
Eh?

[Shaking herself (and perhaps wiping away a spot of drool), Jacky made sure the grin she flashed was extra cheery to make up the lack.] Ah, yes! Sorry, my thoughts got the better of me for a moment there! Woolgathering, you know.

Now, let us see... [Eyeing the pile of gems, she found her gaze straying to the few green ones. Oh, but she did love emeralds...

...on second thought, best not to tempt it. Rubbing the constellation on her face, Jacky pointed at one of the red ones--and sighed just a little under her breath at the loss. Goodbye, oh fleet of brigantines. Goodbye sloops, cutters, and schooners. Hello, responsibility; you were not missed.]
For one of those beauties, you'll get yourself admission to the grounds and twenty tickets.

I think you'll agree that's awful fair.
missionfail: (suspicious)

[personal profile] missionfail 2016-10-06 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Jasper grits her teeth.]

I was a perfect quartz. A rolemodel. Others from my kindergarden practically begged to be in my unit. To see me in action. They respected me.

You Crystal Gems think you're the only ones who lost people.
zebrarhyme_everytime: (a friendly chat)

[personal profile] zebrarhyme_everytime 2016-10-06 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
[Zecora shrugs, a gentle motion beneath the cloak.]?

I learned too much, and now I pay.
Perhaps that is the proper way.
Power should not come with no price
Else those who used it would never be nice.
intherigging: (angry1)

[personal profile] intherigging 2016-10-06 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
[Stopping herself, Jacky snorts, swaying a bit on her feet. Stupid, evil little wisps.] Well, I for one am open to suggestions. All I've got is this stupid net.
missionfail: (talking)

[personal profile] missionfail 2016-10-06 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
Sure. There's gotta be muscle on you somewhere.

[Jasper's not that good when it comes to giving friendly advice to humans. She considers it an accomplishment if she doesn't laugh when one accidentally drops the mallet on their toes.

Sometimes it works in her favor, especially if she riles them up enough that they spend more to try and prove her wrong.]


Swing it again.
zebrarhyme_everytime: (a friendly chat)

[personal profile] zebrarhyme_everytime 2016-10-06 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
It is an unfortunate tale
Of no small scale.
It is not new to me
And you have my sympathy.

[The zebra's smile is sad, but warm.]
hoasen: (NO WORDS)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-10-06 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
Y-yes...if two of us can see it, unless there is something in the air, perhaps it is real.

[She blinks up at him, before looking at the light.]

I suppose there is nothing to lose. [And as he said, he touched it twice and it didn't hurt! So she reaches out, trying to touch the star that...

...it feels...solid.]
fortuneglass: credit - haptisms @ lj (OnO)

[personal profile] fortuneglass 2016-10-06 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
O-NLY A YEAR?! [...Yes. Yes it does.] Hahhh...I've been working on mine but I can't do anything like that...

H-how often do you work on this..!? [CLEARLY SHE NEEDS TO DO BETTER AS WELL!!]