⇨ 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

Seariadn | OC | Newbie

[seariadn]

ADMISSION FEES

Seariadn wasn't certain how he got to this place, but he was confused as all heck. Hadn't he last been in an old warehouse? What was going on? At least the place had enough odd looking things around that a huge, blue, naga shaped, plush toy didn't seem to be too out of place... but still.

He looked down at the few small papers and id cards he had in his hands, and sighed. All he had were his identity cards and papers 'proving' he was safe... He didn't have anything to pay with for admission.

GAMERS CIRCLE

The place sure seemed lively, even if Seariadn wasn't so sure about being out in the open as he was. Still, there were enough large toys being given out at the stalls that he didn't feel too bad about just finding a spot in a corner and curling up to watch the goings on of the people around him.

Maybe he wouldn't freak people out here... or at least not so long as they thought he was just a display toy, or one left behind at least.

[fourthscribe]

"Believe it or not, some people actually are naturally altruistic."

She has a bit of sympathy, though--she felt much the same for a period of time before she met Ginko, after all.

"Now, are you going to get down from there, or not?"

[ex_catty656]

You don't need to raise your voice. I am right here. My hearing is pretty good, so you're quite loud and rambunctious. Well, so it goes, a hallmark of youth, wouldn't you say.

[She seems to lack compassion for his youth or lack of it; she's swaying on her feet as if distracted, even despite his earnest anger. In other words, she totally doesn't give a fuck.]

[meanlook]

What are you talking about! You're in like, elementary school, right? Don't act like you're so mature.

[Her blase attitude only makes him more frustrated. Shouldn't she be at least a little intimidated by him?]

[ex_catty656]

I was previously enrolled in junior high classes. But I have decided to forgo such education. Which level of schooling allows one to become mature? I wasn't intending on pursuing it any further.

[By now she is leaning against the tree from which she leapt, as if she's too tired to stand up straight.]

[theoryandcalculation]

Hmph. I only needed to test the angle and the strength of my shot - I'll get it right this time.

[True, he's trying not to spend so much time calculating anymore, but he supposes thinking through the physics a little more this time won't hurt.

He aims again, spending a little longer in that position this time, before finally shooting. He ball is a little more on target this time, though it's still far from the best free throw ever.]

[eyeofthetaiger]

I don't practice my jumps in trees.

[Because that's the most salient point here. Kagami rubs at the back of his neck, trying not to scowl and failing.]

I'm trying to find a way back. The carnival was cool and all, but we have a practice game tomorrow.

[And Kagami will never turn down a chance for Ball.]

[meanlook]

Junior high?!

[Her tone is way too sincere for him to call her a liar, so he settles for jamming his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and huffing.]

You don't learn maturity in school. Not that I went. But I know that much.

Snake | Kuroshitsuji | Newbie

[ophidiarex]

Admission Fees

[There's a holdup in the line. Or rather, another holdup. The guy at the front of the line, who frankly looks like he's already spent a little long at the carnival by the scales on his face, is just looking down at the teller's hand, as if he's uncertain what to do. Finally, one of the snakes wrapped around his body hisses, and he speaks up, in a surprisingly feminine voice.]

"We don't have any!"

[He continues, in a quieter, more masculine voice,]

"... Says Emily."

[Give him a hand?]

Gamer's Circle

[This place... is almost reminiscent of home. The bustle, the attractions, all of that. However, Snake's not really sure what to make of the games. It's not something he's got experience with, really. Indeed, it's a whole new experience, and one that he's not completely positive how to approach.

That's why he's watching you. From the corner behind the booth. Hopefully that doesn't throw you off your game, or your job, or whatever it is you're trying to do.]

break time, because roman probably deserves this

[pipers_son]

Unfortunately for Roman, the veterans of the circus look all over. Sometime it's up, because some people never get tired of the sky here or because all sorts of weird nonsense makes them wary. And then sometimes... It's down.

Because there are an annoying number of people here who have wings.

Then again, maybe it's just Joker who adds to that annoying part, as Roman will soon learn. The stage manager had seen him from above and, while it's not his area to be bossy in... That doesn't mean Joker stops his own curiosity and petty amusement as he lands not too far away to grab some popcorn...

And start tossing it up there with a barely restrained grin.

He wonders how much he can get in the little guy's hair before he notices. Or stops him.

Admission Fees

[pipers_son]

[During times like this- the recruitment drives, when people get either hoodwinked or agree of their own accord into working for the carnival- Joker finds himself venturing out past the carnival itself more than he usually would. Sometimes it's just for fresh air, sometimes it's to find the folks who keep getting lost because they think it's so easy to go back.]

[Inevitably, that has him passing by the admission line. Joker doesn't often pay it much mind, honestly. Sometimes, sure, if there's a ruckus, but his thoughts are often elsewhere. Today is turning out to be no different...]

[...Except then someone speaks up and his heart leaps to his throat and freezes itself there. He knows that voice.]

Snake!?

[The name is out of his mouth before he can remember to stop himself. It's been- years. And he's changed quite a bit.]

Trying to Leaf

[pipers_son]

[While Axel is basking in his bewilderment, an impressed whistle comes from nearby.]

Now ain't that a neat little trick!

[Sitting on a fence nearby, Joker gives a lazy casual grin.]

But, ha, I have a feelin' it didn't get ya where ya wanted ta go.

[small_reservations]

... No. It didn't. You got any clue why?

[Is he stuck here? With these strange people? I mean, this guy's body is partially wooden, and he has wings. Wings! It's not something that Axel really wants to think about, being trapped here with these... well, the word freaks comes to mind.]

[pipers_son]

[If he has any idea that there’s a little bit of judgment being leveled his way, well, Joker certainly doesn’t act like he’s noticing. Still just that lazy grin.]

I might. So that’s never happened ta ya before, then?

[ophidiarex]

[Hearing his name - or title, but to him, it's as close as he has to a name - Snake turns, looking over the crowd with his normal, blank expression. At least until his eyes settle on Joker. Then they go wide, slow recognition mixing with shock. He steps out of line (to the relief of the teller and everyone behind him) to get closer, a tiny snake resting above his ear hissing at Joker, and begins speaking in a masculine voice that is still not his own quiet tones.]

"I thought you were dead! What happened to you?" ... says Donne.

[He's still not often speaking for himself, it'd seem.]

The Circle

[amusicaladventure]

"Whoa-ho!" Ash practically sang that out as she clapped her hands with delight. Pretty sure she couldn't fit that thing in her apartment, but god, it would be worth trying, right? "Where do I win THAT?"

She turned in place to peer at the nearby stalls, trying to figure out who had those in the prize area.

Ashleigh Mischief | OC

[amusicaladventure]

Mirror Maze

Hey...

[The catgirl taps at a mirror with one claw, not hard enough to scratch but definitely with some force behind her. Opposite her, her reflection smirks at her condescendingly as it meets her claw with its own.]

What kind of funhouse mirror is this anyway? And how many are there? I swear I should have been out of here by now.

[Turning her back on the reflection, she leans against it, the guitar slung over her back like a sword pressing against her shoulder blades as she taps a finger against her lips.]

There must be a trick to it.

Trying to Leaf

[One moment, the forest is quiet.]

[The next, music rolls out of it, sounding very much like a full orchestra has appeared out of nowhere to perform where absolutely no one can see them. A voice rolls out over the trees in song that fills every particle in the air with energy and vibration.]

Bring me around,
let the night pass by.
Lost in the dark,
caught wondering why.
Searching for the only place I've ever known...

So bring me home.

[The last word lingers in the air atop the fading sounds of violins as Ash steps out of the woods, her hands spread wide and her head tipped back. As the last of the word curls out from between her lips, the rest of the music all dies out as well, leaving silence in its wake.]

[Straightening her neck, she opens her eyes, and the confident smile on her face lasts for one second only before she focuses on the full-sized gingerbread house which has appeared quite literally out of nowhere.]

Oh come on! That's not even -- that's not right! [She gestures with both hands at it, palm-up, as if inviting the entire universe to observe how ridiculous this is. Petulantly stomping a foot, she folds her arms and tucks a hand against her cheek as her tail curls around her leg.]

Was I out of genre? Or did the near-rhyme spoil it?

[seariadn]

Well now that, was not a reaction he got often. Actually, he couldn't think of any time he'd gotten a reaction like that. Seariadn actually felt a little guilty that she couldn't win anything that looked like him, since he was sure that she'd want nothing to do with him once she realized that he wasn't just an inanimate toy.

"I think the closest you'll get is that stall over there..." He raised a hand to point at one of the games where the prizes happened to be large toy snakes, though they were nowhere near his own size. "I'm not actually a prize..."

[amusicaladventure]

Yelping, Ash jumped backwards in a manner that wasn't like a startled cat at all, no matter what anyone tried to tell you. One finger stabbed out at him, while behind her, her tail was a ridiculous bottlerbrush floof. "Agh! Talking plush animal! How does that even work?!"

[small_reservations]

[Axel can't really call people freaks, when he's not exactly human himself. But he can think it, at least. Outwardly, he just crosses his arms.]

I've used them for that kind of thing before. But they've never failed to take me where I want to go, no.

[seariadn]

Her reaction to him made him cringe back and look both rather disappointed and guilty, he didn't mean to scare people, but he had been somewhat expecting it. "Sorry... I don't actually know."
She hadn't taken off running or attacked him yet, though if that was a good thing or not, Seariadn wasn't sure.

[amusicaladventure]

'Scared' wasn't the right word. 'Startled' definitely was, and that was quickly wearing off, replaced with a blend of alarm and irritation that isn't directed at him.

"Wait, did they just enchant you and make you smart so you could shill for the games?"

[seariadn]

Seariadn was rather confused by her further reaction, but cautiously optimistic. She didn't seem to be upset or angry at him, which admittedly was something rather new to him.

"Ah, no." He tilted his head, trying to make sense of why she seemed to be upset. "I have no idea where I came from actually. Being out in the open like this is very new to me..."

Though he wouldn't admit to it, it was also unsettling as well. The world outside of the storage locker he'd come to awareness in, was just huge and somewhat scary. The carnival was just another place to add to the list of locations he was trying in an attempt to find a place to, if not fit in, then at least not get chased off.

[amusicaladventure]

"Oh, it's like that." A familiar story, or at least not so uncommon, from her own home -- where strangeness and confusion abounded. "Guess I owe you an apology then. I'm sure not out to win anyone intelligent. You're pretty impressive though!"

[seariadn]

"Apology? For what?" While he was glad that she wasn't afraid of him, he couldn't say that he wasn't a a little bit disappointed that she didn't want him. Then again, this whole 'being a person' thing seemed very complicated. He was wondering if he'd ever get the hang of it.

Seariadn rubbed the back of his neck and looked somewhat unsure of himself at being called 'impressive'. That wasn't what people normally called him when they saw him, and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.