⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #1

[ringleaders]

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!

Comments

[pipers_son]

[Fortunately, being in the staff areas of the circus means there’s always something or someone handy around. In this case, some poor sod passing by with a mug of what’s… probably coffee. Joker actually doesn’t pause to take a look before he grabs it out of their hand and shoves it at the Doctor. It goes spilling a bit over his own hand but, hey! Wooden hand. Doesn’t hurt as much as it would.]

[pipers_son]

As ya wish, sir. I’ll be back with in just a minute, and I’ll let the Ringleader know while I’m off as well.

[Two birds, one stone.]

[Coffee is simple and quick to get, and so is calling the Ringleader up on the walkie talkies to let her know she has a caller. He’s back in only a couple of minutes, balancing the tray on his hand expertly with pot and mugs.]

She’ll be on her way as soon as she’s dealin’ with a few contract matters. In the meantime, doin’ alright there, sir?

[Because Joker hadn’t missed how quickly he’d taken a seat, and he glances up at him as he pours out the coffee.]

[sunflowerfields]

And now Mom is worried. They had to get out of here, for Medli's sake. She squeezed her hand.

"Let's go. Don't look back, okay?"

[veinglory]

[Whatever Joker says after his arm slides up is lost in the sound of Gottlieb's heart pounding in his ears. The shrill squeak that comes out of him next has to be some kind of vampire thing because it's not a sound any human has ever made. Also, is he going cross-eyed?]

Ah... ahahaha!

[Some part of his brain still manages to function well enough to say 'Uh weren't we supposed to do something involving the arm and the wrist? Better do that!' And so it does!]

[solaris9]

"Really? Thanks!" Goku picked up a coin and turned it around in his palm, examining it. It was like no other coin he'd seen before. How cool was that?

"Uh, I dunno if I've got anything I can give you in return though," he said apologetically.

[beunbroken]

Oh! Well, sort of. I make all my clothing. [And she's proud of her sewing skills, too. She drew the line at cobbling, though. Shoes she always got from Songbird.]

Have you ever seen anything like this? [she gestures at all the bright lights, the people.]

[dragonsattendant]

The Rito girl nods, doing her best to ignore the taunts of her double behind the glass. She resumes her powerwalk, turning corners and navigating back out of dead ends as they went.

It takes some time, but eventually: "Hey, I think I can see the outside down this way!"

[atouts]

[ In that brief respite from having to keep an eye on Joker, Childermass will close his eyes and try to settle some of the dizziness. Only when his guide returns will he look up again, first at the coffee, then back to the bizarre man. ]

Hm? Ah, yes, I am. It was a longer trip to get here than I had anticipated, that's all.

[ Which isn't technically a lie, but it also has nothing to do with how he's feeling. ]

[fragileandsoft]

Greg braces himself as Ginko struggles with the unseen animal, but once it comes out it's sort of... well, it's sure as heck a lot less intimidating than most of the creatures Greg's come in contact with.

"Woah. Uhh, hey there little buddy."

Caught between the impulse to help Ginko hold it, the instinct to give it a pat, and the worry of making it worse or getting bitten, Greg's hand reaches out and pulls back a couple times. He settles on giving the animal an awkward little wave hello.

"What's a guy like this do for the carnival? Is it part of a routine, or something?"

[fragileandsoft]

"It's no problem, miss, really. This stuff isn't money exactly, but I think it does the same sort of thing around here."

Greg watches Hinawa's awe, bemused.

"You're from pretty far out of town, I take it?" Well, he is too, but at least he knows how transactions work. "Yyyyou seem a little overwhelmed."

[fragileandsoft]

[ Greg lets out a whoop at her display. Even with inhuman strength as a daily fact of life, everything is more exciting in an environment like this. ]

Oh, that settles it. I'm finding the old barbell again when I get home.

[coinsforlockerrooms]

She shakes her head, bringing up her plush toy, "we already have this, don't we?"

That Goku kept the coins made Yukine feel warm inside. A part of her would persevere, an experience... She wished that the journey she allowed Goku to have would be a pleasant one. She held both of his hands.

"If you ever come to Hikarizaka, come visit the Private High School's reference room. I love having friends come over." She looked down with a forlorn smile, "I will be graduating soon, though, and I don't know what will I do after this..."

[trustme]

[ Doctor takes the mug and starts chugging. Whatever whipped cream had just been on top of that leaves him with a mustache as he pulls the mug away from his face with a gasp. ]

I think that was more sugar and cinnamon than coffee. Mint- does anyone have any mint?!

[ He tosses the mug back towards the stunned guest that the drink originally belonged to. ]

Tell them to give you a refill. On me. Mint! Any mint?!

[ He starts to stagger as he walks into the crowd to check every guest's food or drink that he can spot. The jar with the wisp is tucked under his arm and if one looks closely the wisp seems to be amused, minus the sudden jerks from him beginning to trip around. ]

[drrdrrdrr]

Least I'm not wasting as much space as you! But I guess you did get smaller lately, huh. How's that workin' out for you?

[pocketofsunshine]

Just because something is weird doesn't make it bad, maybe dangerous but lots of things in life are.

This place is weird no doubt about that, but I don't want to be afraid of it either.

No matter why that Ringmaster lady brought us all here, I choose to make it something good for all our sake.

[bespotted]

["Appearances can be deceiving" is one of the first lessons anyone can learn among the fae. For the better, usually. Surely no one wants to know what's in the Carnival Surprise meals anyway.]

If you think that would give you the advantage, you're mistaken. [A taunt to chase the supervisor, where Diarmuid Ua Duibhne gives him a head start; one doesn't need a majestic pair of wings to fly - or at least a near enough approximation of it to dazzle spectators. Perhaps it's better to say that with their luck, the fish will be the sort to burrow instead.

Regardless, Lancer will keep an easy pace with Joker, breaking aside only to greet the spirit keeping the booth companionably when they've arrived. Another lesson worth learning: always be polite to your hosts.]

[bespotted]

[Please, Diarmuid has more tact than Some People.

Much of Diarmuid's initial light has returned over the course of this exchange. Slowly, but present. It doesn't falter.

The question is simple...but one that would mean less coming from someone other than a Servant. As it is, it stirs in him the whisper of an urge to introduce himself as he did in the beginning. As he did before, and as would be appropriate of his station in many circumstances. Instead, he bows his head and exhales a short, constrained sigh.]

My apologies. It seems in my surprise I've forgotten a basic courtesy.

[Still, he snaps his chin back up to answer proudly, his prominent curl bouncing over the bridge of his nose with the motion.]

I've found that either will suffice, though it has most often proven simpler to introduce myself as Lancer. [You try teaching a hundred people from as many different worlds how to pronounce Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.] It is a more effective stage name, and given the recent turnaround it is just as likely to be the only one our fellow workers remember me by.

Re: Awesome!!

[dragonsattendant]

Mhm. And there might be a mainland, but if there is, we haven't discovered it yet...

What's your world like, miss?

[fortuneglass]

Well... [A question she doesn't get to answer very often...] It's an island, but it's a lot bigger than just one village or mountain! It has mountains on it!

Where I lived there, it was a great big city! You could see all the lights at night, and it looked almost like it was still the middle of the day! [Basically it was Future Japan.]

[sunflowerfields]

Hinawa looks ahead and can see a sliver of light. "I see it! Hurry!"

She doesn't feel like she's in danger, but there's an oppressive sense of unease in the air, and her concern for this poor girl is compounding her need to get out of here.

The sliver of light grows larger until the exit comes into full view. Finally, sunlight! Er, moonlight? What times it is here, anyway?

[dragonsattendant]

You can leave this maze. But you can't run away from your duty.

"... I know."

Stepping into the gentle light of the moon, Medli lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your help, ma'am! I'm really glad that's over with. I owe you!"

[missionfail]

[Jasper growls, then stands up, blinking away some mild disorientation that comes from the movement.]

I'll just go to my assigned unit. That's what I should have done to begin with.

[It feels cramped, and she has no need to sleep (at least she didn't...) but it's much less likely that she'll be bothered there. She won't be sitting out in a public location. She also won't be able to cast spells without risking destroying something, but at least she can look at her notes in peace.]

I didn't need your help with that.

sobs where is the lie

[fortuneglass]

You're sure..? [She feels she should check-but only briefly. It's easy to bounce back when you want things to go in that direction.] Well, if you say so then..! We're supposed to be having fun here after all!~

[dontpokethat]

The wyrm flicks its tongue out, still trying to crawl over Ginko's shoulder. He huffs and readjusts his hold, wrapping it around his wrist.

"Not really; mostly, it's just for display, entertaining guests between acts, things like that. I'm not sure it can be trained to perform, but it's pretty docile as long as it doesn't get overwhelmed."

[missionfail]

I've heard it takes constant effort to keep the human body physically fit.

[That's why they're such a weak species. She almost says this out loud. It's very hard to refrain from certain commentary.]