livinglot | ⇨ 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wh--oh! No, no no.

[ He waves his hand, slightly distressed by the kind offer. ]

I was just kidding around, it's fine, seriously. [ He's already got his own wallet out to show. After finally getting himself some money, there's no way he could ever accept taking money from kids. ]

Thanks a lot for the offer, though. Really good of you.

[It doesn't really seem like something to joke about, but Yuugi lets it slide even as he frowns slightly. ~~Okay. That sounds fake but okay.~~ With a small nod, he puts his wallet back into his pocket beside his deck holster.]

If you're sure. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on this, it looks like a blast.

[He smiles slightly, looking a little sheepish and waving a hand nonchalantly at the thanks.]

No worries. My grandpa always said you should help out where you can.

[ After spending about 99% of his life poor, Greg's gotten in the habit of making light of his misfortune. He hasn't quite unlearned it yet. The clerk certainly doesn't look at all amused, but at least he gets his tickets without further fuss. ]

Your grandpa sounds like a bright guy. Any help you'd hope for is worth giving, yeah?

Pretty much, although most of the time I hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

[Considering the amount of people he has reached out to only to be pushed away out of stubbornness or some misguided attempt at the puzzle's power, Yuugi has taken to living by that. Maybe, though, without the millennium items around, he can actually make some headway with thinking the opposite. Shouldering his backpack, he takes hold of both straps and turns to Greg, tilting his head.]

I don't think I've seen you around before, mister.

Well, sometimes that's the best you can do.

[ Greg's spent more than enough time with the notion that he can't change how things go, and he has to hope it'll work out. It's a grim fact, but things have turned out better when he doesn't meddle. He rolls his shoulders in a small shrug. ]

Haven't been around before, really. Me and my son sorta stopped in for a surprise fair day, I guess. Name's Greg Universe. And you're...?

Edited 2016-10-03 10:15 (UTC)

[Hm. Still strange, but maybe he was thinking on it too hard. Deciding to ignore the obvious something isn't right here feeling in the pit of his gut that had been there since he entered the carnival, he nods, small smile flicking across his face as he lets his hands fall to slide one into his pockets. Son, huh? He made a mental note to keep an eye out for the other boy in the future.]

Yuugi Mutou, and grandpa kicked me out of the house for the day so here I am.

[Never mind that he'd practically been chased into the carnival but what have you.]

Does your son like games, Universe-san?

Sounds like a lucky day to stumble onto this kinda event, then.

[ Probably, maybe. In truth, everything about this place feels pretty off to Greg. Then again he's always been paranoid about magic. He'll suck it up for his kid; it's just for one day. ]

I dunno anyone who doesn't like games. Whatcha have in mind?

Seems that way, huh?

[The question makes him pause, though, turning to blink wide eyes at Greg before he tilts his head, looking thoughtful. What did he have in mind indeed? Yuugi hums before shaking his head.]

Oh, nothing really. I was just looking forward to competing against someone without the fate of the world at stake for once.

[That makes him stop dead in his tracks and he lets out a small laugh. Goddamn, grandpa was right; he really didn't know how to interact around normal people who didn't know about the whole Egyptian magic thing lately. Yuugi waves a hand nonchalantly, laughing nervously.]

Not that that's a thing that happens regularly or anything.

[ Smooth, Yuugi. Good save.

Greg stares a moment, before shaking his head and rubbing at the bridge of his nose. ]

Man, I know every generation has its trends, but this world-saving teens stuff is past me. [ All he did in his youth was run away from home and bang aliens. ]

I'm eighteen, it's not like I'm...wait, you know about that kind of thing?

[Even as he stresses his age, Yuugi looks slightly surprised, raising an eyebrow. Most of the adults he knew who knew about the whole Egyptian magic thing were either in denial (Kaiba) or reformed evil doers (Pegasus). His grandpa was in a whole other category of course. Still, he realises what he says and scratches his chin.]

Sorry, it just surprised me is all.

Ehh, I try not to get involved with that sort of thing when I can. But I gotta keep up on what my kid's getting into, you know?

[ Though... there's a very small group of humans who get involved with gem stuff, for all the planet being at risk. And even Steven wouldn't think of it as a game, by now.]

Buuut when it comes to games, we're more a checkers family. Not so world-ending.

[Huh. So that explains it. Funny, he sort of expected it, and he half wonders how old Greg's kid is before he shakes it off. He shouldn't really be too concerned over someone he's never met, considering how old he was when everything started, but the mention of checkers has his attention elsewhere.]

Mmm, I can't really say I've played American checkers, but I do enjoy the occasional game of Go with grandpa when I'm not dueling.

That's the one with the... sorta flat marbles?

[Close enough.]

Well, I doubt there's likely to be too many board games at the fair. Hopefully those target games don't involve the gate of the world, either.

⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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