⇨ 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

[rescuee]

The pleasure is mine.

[ You know, sort of. But he finds, with a heavy heart, that he can't just leave him with his full name. He doesn't want to be subjected to the awkward fumble/avoidance of a name next time it comes up. So, after a moment: ]

You're welcome to call me Jajo, by the way.

[ You're welcome. ]

[starpact]

If you wanted it to, wouldn't this count?

[ he is aware of the technicality between favors and gifts. he also finds he greatly prefers the latter. ]

Not to... cast aspersions on your character, of course. [ her appearance does that well enough already. ]

[atouts]

[ Considering how much black Childermass is wearing, it might not be a shock that he adds neither sugar nor cream and takes his coffee just as black. ]

Where from? Down from Yorkshire. [ Or is it up from? He actually has no idea if this place even adheres to regular directions. As an afterthought, he'll add, ] In England.

[ In case that's somehow a mystery here, as well. ]

Although I get the feeling that this place isn't set up anywhere near there at all, now is it?

[yellbrush]

[ her shoulders tense, almost imperceptibly, before she shrugs. ]

If you feel it does, then I take back my words.

[ with one more turn, the light of the exit falls onto them. she beckons forward to the rest of the carnival. ]

Go. Get out of here.

[waitingforplayer2]

[ She's not injured, at least. Her hand automatically goes to the spot on her leg where there had been a hole a few hours ago, but there isn't even pain anymore.

So why is she even down here, on the ground. ]

Um... [ She slowly gets to her feet, leaning against the building. Her legs are still shaking a little. ] ... Is there somewhere with water?

[waitingforplayer2]

[ She nods slowly, her head drooping with exhaustion. ] A spell... like a buff. That's funny...

[ It's like she's in a video game. Even though of course she isn't. The other girl is probably just saying that to comfort her. And it is weirdly comforting. She even manages the hint of a smile at the thought of magic. ]

[beautifulmistakeofnature]

I....probably?

[He grins, sheepishly as he drags a hand through his hair.]

I. Kind of just got here too, but there has to be water somewhere. Hold on, I can, you know, go find some.

GAMER'S CIRCLE

[neveroutwrenched]

[Ratchet stands to one side, arms crossed watching this fiasco impatiently for a full ten minutes. Or at least what he would claim was ten minutes, it was actually probably less than two. Which should tell you something about how closely he’s paying attention.]

You just shoot it.

[He finally butts in with an exasperated huff and a mimed hand-gesture of shooting a gun. It’s not rocket science.]

[beunbroken]

Oh, more than you know, Mr. Childermass. [She can't help but to be wry in tone.

He'd be right- she was the daughter of Zachary Hale Comstock, the Prophet of Columbia. There was nothing else to do in her tower but to learn and entertain herself.]

Me, too. I mean- I've read about carnivals. But this is... [they walk past a patron with horns.] this is something else entirely.

i can't believe these are the most appropriate clips i could find

[otokogi]

[ Mitsuki pauses for a minute--geez, put him on the stop, why don't you?--then nods. ]

OK, but I'm sitting down and I'm not warmed up at all!

[ He clears his throat, sits up a bit straighter, and sings a couple of different songs. Soloing is not his strong point and it shows, but he's enthusiastic and even from his position in the Ferris wheel car he's clearly trying to give his audience a good show. ]

[atouts]

I hadn't expected a carnival at all, actually.

[ He's adamantly not looking at the people with, ah, let's call them extras. The magic here is already giving him a headache without adding those, thanks. ]

[beunbroken]

I was- I saw the lights, heard the noise from the tear.

[rips in the fabric of space-time, no big deal.]

I thought I could use it as a distraction.

[atouts]

Well, it is certainly distracting.

[ But that's not the weird thing she just said. Sorry, Elizabeth, those are totally big deals. ]

From the tear? What tear?

[beunbroken]

No, a distraction for the man who was supposed to take me to Paris.

[And she's really upset about it still. At least she got to hit him in the head with a wrench. He deserved it. Jerk.]

The tear, back to my world. They're almost... windows to another world. And this one I climbed through.

[atouts]

[ The same man she'd mentioned before? Probably. ]

It sounds like the roads. [ Faerie roads. He's not sure he could describe those as tears, however. ] All of which are very ill-advised to go wandering onto, Miss Elizabeth.

[ The unwanted honorific creeping its way back in, since it's a matter of sounding severe. ]

[smellslikebarbecue]

[Wow Ratchet check your OPPOSABLE DIGIT PRIVILEGE.

Spyro's still frowning at the device when he says offhandedly:] Yeah, thanks, I'd figured that much out for myself. But y'know, feel free to get back to me if you come up with any other bright suggestions for how a guy who doesn't have thumbs is supposed to work one of these things.

[trustme]

Trailers. Right!

[ He makes a wide turn like a car at risk of rolling onto its side and zooms in the direction of the backyard. He manages to make it to the edge of the first row of trailers but trips on a tree root and falls face forward into the grass and clover underfoot. The jar with the wisp topples with him, bounces, and rolls to a stop a foot away from him. The wisp remains trapped and nearly as dizzy as Doctor is. ]

\o/

[fortuneglass]

Eh... [She pauses.] ...I guess so?!

Do you really live that close to lava though?!

[beunbroken]

[She blinks.] the roads? What are those? [Please tell her!]

Just Elizabeth, Mr. Childermass.

Jeremie Belpois | Code Lyoko | Newbie | OTA

[returntothepastnow]

Trying to Leaf

[This is the third time he's been past this carnival and it's frankly ridiculous. He knows full well how to navigate a forest! He snaps a stick off a nearby tree, squats down and starts drawing in the dirt. Navigation calculations, a quick map of what he estimates the boundaries of forest to be, and...

He looks frustrated. None of this makes any sense and he can't stop fiddling with the stick. Shouldn't he be able to figure this out?]

Admission fees

Look, I don't want to go inside. I just want directions! Is that so hard?

[Why is this so hard to understand? He has school tomorrow! But the guy at the ticket counter won't listen to him, just insists on something of value. The only thing of value Jeremie has are his laptop and his cellphone, and he's not about to give those up.

Maybe someone can help mediate this.]

Gaming Circle

[...Spectres?!

This whole carnival is run by XANA's Spectres?

OK, no, step back, Jeremie. Literally, he takes a step back to think about this. XANA is gone. Well, as far as he knows. He thought he knew pretty far but he guesses there was always a chance he hid in some virus or another, waiting to come back. But if that was the case why here, why now and why this? If it were a tiger trap, XANA could take the forms of actual humans, right?

And through all this, he's just sort of standing in the middle of everything. Cut him some slack, this was the last thing he ever expected to see.]

Wild Card

[For all other shenanigans.]

[atouts]

Roads that lead into or between other worlds. [ There are two kinds, but he isn't going to bother making that distinction. ] I took one here myself.

a bit of theorizing here BUT its a popular theory

[dragonsattendant]

[ A nod. ] Legend has it that Dragon Roost was once a volcano called Death Mountain. It doesn't erupt anymore, but there's still lava pits.

[ She perks up again. ] But don't worry, we have ways to get around it!

[fragileandsoft]

Well, yeah! You should've seen me back when I lifted on the reg. You can imagine how much more impressive I was!

[ i.e, even remotely impressive. ]

I take it you're used to things staying a little more reliable.

[beunbroken]

So my tears must be... shortcuts, or something like that.

[totally makes sense to her.]

[missionfail]

It's temporary.

[She repeats it as if that automatically makes it true.]

When I finish up here I'll have it fixed.