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!
liedtoyou: (Doing it wrong/Move!)

[personal profile] liedtoyou 2016-10-23 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"No."

Machi's entire demeanour shifts instantly, morphing from laid back, almost carefree, to hard and unyielding like a stone.

Then a second later he laughs at Roman.

"--stupid."

Of course, he isn't clarifying how old he is. Maybe he is eight.
neighborofthebeast: (human: laaaaaame)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 04:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Roman's ears spring up at the sudden declaration but soon they fall back when he's laughed at. The demon props an elbow on the game counter, leaning over it to inspect Machi's scales. He reminded him of someone.

"Eight hundred then. Got it, gramps. Now move, it's somebody else's t-turn."
liedtoyou: (I Own You/Grey)

[personal profile] liedtoyou 2016-10-23 04:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Machi looks behind him, just a glance. His finned ears stick out through his blonde hair, but there's no visible change in expression that can be seen. Not with the sunglasses, anyway.

He turns back to Roman.

"Okay." Fine. "Give me thing."

He gestures at the darts, having no actual correct word for the object.

"I try game. If lose, I leave. If win...." Actually, what does he want? Not a stuffed bear, that's for sure.
neighborofthebeast: (demon: uuuuuh idk)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Roman promptly handed over five things. They were darts, luckily. He got the idea.

"You get to pick a price same as everyone else. No senior discount."

The demon moved aside, folding his arms and leaning back on his tail like a cartoon kangaroo.

"Go for it."

dontpokethat: but where is the respect for problem creators such as myself (problem solving skills are well regarded)

[personal profile] dontpokethat 2016-10-23 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Ginko shrugged, and answered without thinking about it. "He's fine. He got turned back into a skeleton eventually."
neighborofthebeast: (human: adlfsffdsg)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 04:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"WHAT!"

Roman's charade of chillmaster supreme shattered like a window--but only because he hadn't met one of the four animate skeletons walking around yet. His tail coiled in on itself like a spring.
dontpokethat: and i dont care about anything (been bitten by 96% of the worlds animals)

[personal profile] dontpokethat 2016-10-23 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Honestly Machi what do you even expect from him. Besides, it is technically his job to keep stuff like this from happening. Which is why he certainly isn't going to complain about Machi not helping; this crap isn't his job, and Ginko doesn't want to risk Machi getting hurt over this.

Ginko snorts and makes a grab for the giant rodent's snout. "Glad someone's having a good time-- shit!"

Speaking of getting hurt. Ginko rapidly changes focus from holding the rat-thing in place to trying to dislodge its teeth from his hand. Translucent gold fluid is already welling up from the bite, and the culprit is showing very little interest in letting go.
dontpokethat: (why did i do that?)

[personal profile] dontpokethat 2016-10-23 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
...Ah. Yeah, that was probably a weird thing to say, wasn't it.

"--Oh, right. Um, he was actually a skeleton to begin with. A living one."

Y e p.
liedtoyou: (Am not believe is not butter)

[personal profile] liedtoyou 2016-10-23 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Good job, Roman. You have already surpassed at least a solid third of the people around here on language comprehension. But Machi is not picking a bear. Or a stuffed tie dye alligator, either.

He takes the darts anyway, picking up the first one and feeling the still-cool, ridged plastic coating on its body.

With his free hand, he actually pulls down his sunglasses enough to give the balloons a better look. So Roman gets a rare look at his eyes. They aren't just baby blue--they're borderline cyan.

"Ehhh...."

Even his pensive noises have a heavy accent.

But okay. Fine.

He throws.

It's a miss.
neighborofthebeast: (uhm)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"How is that even a thing!"

Asked the technically dead kid of the towering green deer man.

"Ugh! God! Fine!" He threw his arms into the air and spread his wings. "I'll try not to sleep in public! I just wish they'd start giving me jobs I can actually do!"
neighborofthebeast: (horrible child)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Thwock! The dart embeds itself in the wooden back wall of the booth. An for once, Roman becomes a little more animated. He shoots Machi a smirk--a smirk that hides disappointment that this fish boy does not have goggle eyes under those shades.

"Ooooh, too bad. T-too bad! Try again."
dontpokethat: or a cool looking leaf. either one (i hope that one day i will find love)

[personal profile] dontpokethat 2016-10-23 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Ginko shrugged. Hell if he knew, but it sure seemed to be one.

"If it really gets to be a problem, you could go to the Ringmaster about it. Otherwise, just take it a bit at a time and it should get easier."
neighborofthebeast: (weh)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh! Sure! Because talking to her worked out g-great for me last time!"

However this time his anger didn't seem directed at Ginko. He paced in a little circle, lashing his tail and slinging sawdust everywhere.

"We made a deal! We SHOOK on it! She signed her name! And she cheated! You can't cheat the devil! That just doesn't happen!"
liedtoyou: (Bored/Unimpressed With You)

[personal profile] liedtoyou 2016-10-23 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yes, very funny." It's Machi's turn to deadpan--he's got one hell of a poker face, so who knows if he's actually disappointed or not.

Either way, he has four more darts.

So he takes aim a second time--this time at a green balloon, which bobbles loosely from its nail. Honestly, all of the balloons are kind of depressing. Tempting, half-filled sacs of brightly-coloured disappointment.

Like a reverse firing squad or something.

Machi throws again, clipping the balloon's rubbery side. But it doesn't actually pop it--it just sort of flops a bit in mockery as the dully pointed dart tip sinks into the wall.
dontpokethat: and make long hissing noises at anyone who stands in your way (do whatever you want to do)

[personal profile] dontpokethat 2016-10-23 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
As Roman ranted, Ginko's eyebrows crept incrementally upward. After a few moments, he responded.

"...What deal did you make?"

Apparently he hadn't intended to sign on willingly. Which left the question of if this guy had really expected to come out on top of a deal with the Ringmaster.
neighborofthebeast: (I AM NORMAL)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 05:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Roman's smirk grows into a grin as the fishy wonder continues to fail.

"Oooh! Almost had it this time! But--it doesn't look like you have that many t-tries left. I think it'd be best if you just gave up and gave one of the young people a chance."
neighborofthebeast: (gone since 1995)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Roman stopped pacing so he could fume and hunch over, arms folded tightly against his chest.

"It was...it was a standard favor. You know. You summon the devil, offer a sacrifice, and get some stupid mortal concern dealt with--success on a test, that job you wanted, an ex you don't like suddenly comes down with an incurable disease. You know."

His voice grew quieter as he rattled off the common orders he got from people. Humans were so selfish.

"I was supposed to get her car."
dontpokethat: because its less drama (i live at the bottom of the ocean now)

[personal profile] dontpokethat 2016-10-23 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
That takes a few moments to sink in.

Then Ginko starts laughing.

Coming from anyone else, it would barely qualify as a laugh - just a low, quiet chuckle, brief and barely audible. He reaches up to take his cigarette out of his mouth, partially hiding a smirk. "Well, I would-- I assume that you realize the problem with that now, right?"
neighborofthebeast: (Phhppttttt)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
The sudden chuckle drew Roman out of his grim daydream. He whipped around, eyes wide and ears standing tall.

"THIS. IS NOT A FREE RIDE. This is not what FREE RIDE means! Stop--stop laughing! Shut up!" He kicked sawdust at Ginko. "How was I supposed to know she wasn't just some drunk chick! How was I supposed to know she was in charge of some interplanetary bullshit freakshow! This is not! What! I signed up for!"

By the time Roman's actual break was over he was going to be too tired to even do any work.
dontpokethat: talking with sass and causing a frackus (i love cracking wise)

[personal profile] dontpokethat 2016-10-23 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"You-- hold on, you actually made an agreement in exchange for a free ride? Did that phrasing not strike you as a little off?" He's regaining his composure now - not that he lost much of it to begin with - but he still looks undeniably amused.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's how the Ringmaster operates. And, as I assume you've picked up on, beating her at her own game isn't something that really happens."
coinsforlockerrooms: (serious)

[personal profile] coinsforlockerrooms 2016-10-23 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Hn! It's a small town in Japan. It isn't someplace significant like many of the worlds I've heard from other guests to the carnival, but it's my home.

[ The man's appearance alone made her guess he wouldn't be from her hometown. She holds his hand. ]

Maybe we can ask on the ticket booth? Maybe they know how to get back if that's your intention.
small_reservations: (Frustrated AND uncertain)

[personal profile] small_reservations 2016-10-23 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Japan, huh?

[He's never even heard of that country, but he's used to there being many worlds, so that doesn't surprise him. It's just one that he's not visited yet, probably.

He starts when she takes his hand, but doesn't pull away. She might notice that she can't feel his heartbeat. He's wearing gloves, though, so that's not totally surprising.]


Alright, sounds like a plan, I guess.

[To be honest, he's not sure there's anything for him at home. But this place kinda creeps him out, he'd rather be elsewhere.]
neighborofthebeast: (weh)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Roman was only moments away from straight up stomping his little hooves.

"What IS she, Ringo?"

Close enough.
dontpokethat: that none of it is interesting to anybody (you can tell by the fact)

[personal profile] dontpokethat 2016-10-23 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Well that sure wasn't his name. Ginko just sighed and gave a small shrug.

"She's a fae, if that explains it for you."
Edited 2016-10-23 22:06 (UTC)
neighborofthebeast: (gone since 1995)

[personal profile] neighborofthebeast 2016-10-23 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
The boy's face wrinkled in thought. A fae. A fairy? Like Tinkerbell? No... Roman's face clouded with worry. Like the ones in Labyrinth!

"Oh..."

Finally sobered (for the time being) he looked back to Ginko. He wondered if he'd had a Sarah that failed to rescue him.