⇨ 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

Bonnie | Pokemon XYZ | Newbie

[pokepochette]

ADMISSION FEES

<sub>[Bonnie was, without a doubt, lost. Maybe she shouldn't have wandered off so far chasing Dedenne, who had decided he had smelled something tasty and the urge to stuff his face overpowered any restraint the little mouse-like creature might've had. Thankfully Bonnie had managed to find him, pocketing him back into her little side bag, but one solved problem had lead to another, much bigger one - her brother was nowhere to be found. Yelling for him did nothing and trying to retrace her steps meant becoming even more disorientated. After a bit of crying and wiping her eyes, she'd hushed herself to hear the faint sounds of music and lights peeking through the foliage of the forest. Curious, she drew toward the spectacle until finally, emerging out of the woods, she was face to face with a carnival.

Any fears she'd had were put on hold for a moment, the task of finding her brother set aside. A carnival! Sure this was no Pokemon Center (which would've been admittedly more helpful) this was definitely a far more fun discovery.]</sub>

Dedenne, Dedenne look! Wow! It's amazing!

_{[The little creature squeaked its name in reply, equally ecstatic, albeit a bit more reserved than her. It doesn't take long for Bonnie to saunter up to the admission entrance, only to be stopped and asked for payment. ]}

Huh? But I don't have anything...! My brother's the one who has all the money...

_{[Brother. Right. She had been looking for him, hadn't she? What if she never found him again? Tears start to prick at the edges of her eyes once more...no! She can't start crying now! Not again!]}

BIG TOP TENT

_{[Curiosity killed the cat, or at the very least has gotten many children in trouble. Bonnie's one of those kids. As soon as she spots the giant tent she's fixated on getting inside. When she does she can't help but let out a gasp, eyes bulging at just how big it is inside. For now it's empty and so is the stage, which calls to her. Eagerly she makes her way down toward it, clambering up until she's standing front and center, Dedenne in her hair as she spins around for a whole 360 degree view. In fact she spins so much she finds herself toppling over, landing on her backside with a laugh.]}

Ahh...! This is how Serena must feel, huh Dedenne? When she's up here performing. It's amazing! I wonder if we could perform too? What do you think?

WILD CARD

_{[Any ideas throw them my way! Bonnie's a curious kid and so she's easily drawn to interesting things, or if you want Dedenne to try and steal something yummy your character's eating then there's that option too.]}

ADMISSION FEES

[masterballer]

[Unfortunately for Bonnie, the person who came up to her was not the charitable sort. Really, it's her Pokemon that has his attention.]

A Dedenne? Hm...

[He addressed her sharply, seeming not to care about her current predicament and equally uncaring if he's holding up the line.]

Hey. Kid. Where are you from?

[pokepochette]

Huh?

_{[His voice has her turning around to face him, a fist rubbing at her eyes quickly to wipe whatever tears that may have been building away.]}

...I'm from Kalos.

[masterballer]

[Well he knew where that was. At least THAT made sense.]

But... you got here from Kanto, right?

[pokepochette]

No? I've never been to Kanto.

_{[The little Pokemon in her pochette squeaks in agreement. He sure hasn't been to Kanto either.]}

Ah, but I know someone from Kanto!

TENT!

[fortuneglass]

[As much as she doesn't work here in the tent, Carly does enjoy taking a sneak peek backstage. And the best way to do that? Be small, and fast, so that if anything starts going down, you can get out of the way!

The trouble with that hummingbird form however is that, especially with it being more budgie sized than anything, it takes energy. And that means taking a nap every now and then.

And that means snoring, from one of the railings.

Looks like the big top wasn't quite as empty as you thought, Bonnie!]

[pokepochette]

_{[The snoring may go unnoticed by her, what with the sound being so high pitched and faint, but Dedenne hears it through Bonnie's laughter and ends up distracted by it.]}

What is it, Dedenne?

_{[Little mouse ears twitch and move before he's scurrying off to find its source, which doesn't take very long. Quietly the Pokemon points toward the sleeping bird as Bonnie finds herself quietly gasping, doing her best to internalize the squeal she wants to let loose. Cute! She's never seen a creature like this before, but it's definitely a bird-type of some sort.]}

Ahh...it's so cute...I wonder why it's sleeping in here?

_{[The little mouse squeaks its name, giving his equivalent of a shrug. Her guess is as good as his.]}

[fortuneglass]

[The one sleeping there is...

...Waking up! There is a sneeze and a snuffle, and the bird looks around with a few sleepy peeps.] Mnnh, is everyone already...

[...Done? She was going to say? It's very clear soon enough that the entire tent is empty, and-] HEH!!! I missed everything..!?!

[Being the only one there, Bonnie is quickly and unfortunately going to be subject to some questions.] Wh-wh-

When did the show end?!? Was I really here the whole time?!

[pokepochette]

Ahh! You can talk! Cuuuute!

_{[That makes it...even cuter?! But also weirder?! How is she supposed to react to such a creature! Startled, Dedenne hops onto his owner, scrambling to perch atop her head. This wasn't like any Pokemon she'd seen before...but it's not the first time she's encountered a talking non-human. Meowth comes to mind, unfortunately.]}

Admission Fees

[fortunesfavorite]

[ Kerub looking around wonderingly, partially at the carnival's exuberance, but mostly because he was trying to figure out how he got there. Of course, something as trivial as that wasn't going to bother him long. He was here, afterall, and might as well enjoy it. His short tail swished from side to side as he took it all in, wandering towards what seemed like the line to the entrance. He got into the queue, waiting for his turn to pay for entry.

Hearing sniffling, he leaned around to try and see the source was. The little girl in front of him was hardly taller than he was, and clearly upset. Overhearing her plight, he reached into his pocket to see if he had any change to spare. There was the jingle of coins. He had been doing pretty well for himself lately and had plenty of kamas, enough to be a little generous.]

Allow me!

[ He sauntered past her, tossing the handful of gold coins to the clerk, confident that it should be an appropriate amount, even though he didn't see a sign posted anywhere with the price for entry.]

[pokepochette]

_{[There's only one type of Talking Cat Bonnie's ever encountered in her life before and that 'cat' came coupled with two baddies who liked to steal Pokemon. This cat though isn't a meowth, nor is it Meowth from Team Rocket. No...this is just some other sort of talking cat...Pokemon? Who knows? This place is already strange enough. She's a bit too stunned to say anything or thank him at first but with Dedenne hopping out of her pochette and scrambling up her arm to perch on her shoulder, her brain decides to unstick itself.]}

U-Um...! Thank you! Uh, you can talk!

[fortunesfavorite]

Of course. Surely you've met an ecaflip before.

[It was more a statement than a question. Sure, not all ecaflip looked the same, but he always considered himself an exemplary representative of his kind. He continued walking, passing through the entrance with a casual glance to the clerk.

Just in case they decided to start something.]

[pokepochette]

An 'ecaflip'?

_{[Come again? No really, what? Dedenne makes an equally confused sound as it clambers up onto her head to get a better look. Was that the kind of Pokemon it was?]}

Um, are you a Pokemon?

tent!

[kagehira]

( It might be bad manners to enter an out of use tent, but really, at some points this carnival seems so crowded that Mika barely feels able to breathe through the bustling mass of guests and performers passing by. Not to mention the headache from all of the murmurs that add up to a dull roar, punctuated by occasional applause. None of those things are too bad in moderation, but after a few hours, Mika is starting to imagine that this may be what Shu feels like every time he goes out into the busier streets. So, staying aside in the quieter tent, he takes a moment to catch his breath. It actually takes him a bit to notice the company he's sharing in here, but he spots a little blonde head onstage soon enough. )

Huh? A li'l girl? ( There's a mix of puzzlement and concern to his voice, but he takes a few steps towards the stage, calling out to her. ) Hey, are ya lost or somethin'? Uh, there ain't a show right now, yanno.

[pokepochette]

<sub>[Was she lost? Technically, yes, yes she was. That was how she ended up at this carnival in the first place. It's not a point she likes being reminded of, that she'd been separated from her brother, and if it weren't for Dedenne, she'd be completely alone.

That said, he was probably looking for her (why wouldn't he be?) and the best thing to do when you were lost was to stay put. Surely he'd come up with an invention and track her or Dedenne down. It was only a matter of time before he'd come!]</sub>

Um...yeah, kinda. _{[She answers, scooping up Dedenne to let him perch atop her head.]} I know there's no show though! Wait...am I in trouble?

_{[Was this his stage? Was he a performer?]}

[kagehira]

Naw, I ain't a part of the staff, but it's no good to be wanderin' around backstage, an' yer parents can't find ya if they can't see ya.

( It can get real busy real fast once the preparations begin, plus it's hardly a visible area for her guardian to pick her up from once they realize she's missing. It doesn't take him long, however, to notice the cute little orange creature on her head. His eyes widen, absolutely starry at the sight of it — naturally, he forgets about the topic at hand for a moment. )

Huh?! Who's that li'l fella? Aah, he's so cute!

( And by now he's close enough that she can probably see that he's got a bright stuffed animal of his own, carried in a bag at his side. )

[pokepochette]

_{[She's about to say that her parents aren't here, nor is her brother, who was the one charged with looking after her in the first place, but when his attention shifts to Dedenne she can't help but be distracted too.]}

Hm? Oh! This is Dedenne! _{[The little mouse Pokemon squeaks its name happily, both in greeting and in thanks for the compliment. Plucking him from her hair she holds him in her arms instead so he can get a better look at him.]}

He's super cute, right? _{[Shockingly cute, even.]} Ah, your plushie is cute too! It kinda looks like a rainbow colored chimchar or an aipom...

TENT

[pullingamiko]

[Bonnie isn't the only one whose attention was drawn by the huge tent. Miko ducks into it not long after, just as immediately delighted by the sheer size of it.]

Oh, sweet!

[She catches sight of the girl on the stage, and her grin widens as she hears the last bits of what Bonnie is saying.] No harm in trying it out sometime, right?

[pokepochette]

_{[Attention diverted, Bonnie scrambles to her feet to get a better look at the girl who's called out to her, Dedenne moving to her shoulder while she does so.]}

Ummm...maybe.

_{[There wasn't any harm, but she doesn't think she'd be very good. Not like Serena, anyway.]}

[pullingamiko]

[Miko heads over to the stage, looking awfully confident in the potential performance skills of this kid she just met.]

Aw, c'mon! Not gonna get anywhere with that attitude.

[pokepochette]

I've never performed before though...I've just watched Pokemon performances.

_{[Watching and doing were two separate things, after all. Even she knows this.]}

admission

[dorkypantsuit]

[He's simply wandering around when he see's the waterworks start. Oh no. He carefully approaches the girl, looking wary.]

Hey! You don't need to cry, what's the matter?

[pokepochette]

I can't find my brother...

_{[Thankfully (?) his appearance is strange enough that it distracts her from how bad she feels. Wow. What a costume. Tears on hold for a moment she sniffs, staring up at him.]}

I like your costume...your horns look like candy corn!

[dorkypantsuit]

[He just smiles at her, his short antennae relaxing as she seems to be calming down for now at least. His freckles shift from a soft indigo to pinker shade.]

Thanks kid, but it's not a costume. I really look this way, see.

[He leans over, letting her feel his horns if she wants to. It's sort of a weird thing to let someone do, but he's the only troll here and she's just a kid.]

fees

[faking]

[It's Alois' habit to lurk around the front gate and glare. He's good at talking, good at cons or being coy, but he has a personal stake in contracts and the like, so he doesn't enjoy seeing some ignorant fool get roped into this carnival without knowing what's really going on. Of course, he doesn't blab about any of this to patrons—his sense of self-preservation is greater than his compassion. ...In most cases, anyway...

Because when he sees this little girl, teary-eyed and totally unsuspecting, something in him twists like hot pliers.

He skirts his way round to where she stands, not minding the ticketmaster or anybody else in the way. And he stoops to Bonnie's level—he knows how to do it just the right way, so that it isn't condescending. His hands are braced on his bent knees, and he's wearing the gentlest smile he can muster—and for once it's genuine.]

There, there! No need for all that. A big girl like you needs a handkerchief and something fun to do, I think. How does that sound?

[He's a pretty boy, to be sure, but he looks stranger now because of the carnival: his ears have a distinct point to them, and there are peeks of what looks like amethyst and sapphire creeping out from underneath his sleeves. They decorate his delicate fingers, too. (He hates them so, so much, but he can't seem to scratch them off, and now only tries to when he's feeling particularly nasty.)

As if he's fulfilling a promise, he plucks a plain white handkerchief from his coat, and offers it to her.] Here you are, treasure. Now, what's the trouble, exactly?