⇨ 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

Tamaki Yotsuba | IDOLiSH7 | noob

[puddingemote]

Option A: The Cookhouse

[The first thing Tamaki does upon wandering into a mysterious carnival (and dropping some yen at the entrance) is follow his nose toward the food. He likes food, after all, and he hasn't eaten since he unceremoniously stormed out after rehearsal and ended up here.

The menu is huge and strange, with lots of options Tamaki has never heard of, but his eyes are instantly drawn to the desserts. There's something called a "funnel cake" mentioned, and while he doesn't know about funnels, he does know about cake, so he decides to order that.

The actual funnel cake looks nothing like a cake he's ever seen before, and he pokes it curiously with a fork. When the cake does nothing threatening, he decides to take a bite.]

...AH! Sho good!!

[Cue a teenage boy tearing into the funnel cake like he hasn't eaten in weeks. Powdered sugar is flying everywhere. It's a disaster zone.]

Option B: Gamer's Circle

[Now having eaten his fill of funnel cake (and a salty pretzel to offset all the sweetness), he's wandered into the Gamer's Circle. He loves games, and he would really like to try throwing a ball at milk bottles to win a cat plushie, but there's one small problem: he spent all the money he had on him getting in. Doesn't he need to pay for games?

So he approaches your character unceremoniously: a six-foot guy in a hoodie that has cat ears, and who speaks pretty brusquely.]

Oi. If I stand on my hands, will you give me some money?

Gamer's Circle

[starseedling]

[Steven, at least, seems pretty impressed by the offer. Admittedly, he'd probably be inclined to share his tickets with anyone who asked nicely, but offering to do a trick makes it impossible to ignore.]

Yeah, I will!

[A pause.]

Or, I can give you some of my tickets, anyway. I think that's what they use for everything here.

[puddingemote]

[This kid is a good kid. Tamaki's eyes widen at the offer.]

Ah, really? You'll just give me tickets?

[Usually he has to at least fend off one bully before kids start giving him gifts. Ah, but this kid is nice, so he should do the trick anyway.]

But I can do the handstand anyway, if you want to see it!

[starseedling]

I totally want to see it!

[And he sounds very sincere about that. He clenches his fists in front of him in preparation.]

[puddingemote]

[Tamaki nods in acquiescence, then, without further ado, bends down, plants his hands on the floor, and then pushes up into a handstand. The back of his hoodie falls over his head and drags in the dirt a bit, but he doesn't seem bothered by it.

To complete the trick, he walks around in a small circle on his hand, then lets his feet fall with a thump back down.]

How was that?

[starseedling]

[He wasn't expecting the walking around part, so that's pretty thrilling. He claps his hands a couple times in approval.]

That was great! [He fishes into his pocket for some tickets, and hands them over, grinning.] Do you do a lot of stuff like that? I've been working out a lot lately but I haven't really done much stuff like that by myself.

[As Stevonnie, sure, but he isn't going to burst into that subject quite so immediately. Stevonnie is way more flexible than him.]

[puddingemote]

[Tamaki accepts the praise with a smile (though not a "thank you," he's still working on manners).]

I mostly dance. But I know how to do handstands and cartwheels 'cause it's fun.

[He's actually a pretty famous dancer as an idol, but he fails to elaborate on that.]

[starseedling]

[Steven doesn't even notice. As polite as he is, it doesn't tend to stick out to him when other people are subtly rude.]

Really? I love dancing. But I mostly use it for magic stuff.

[It's said extremely casually. He rubs his hands together.]

You know, I bet I can do a handstand now, too!

B

[dorkypantsuit]

[The Ψiioniic looks thoughtful for a moment, his short antennae wiggling as he thinks.]

How about a backflip?

[puddingemote]

[Weird costume. Is this guy a performer?

Tamaki looks thoughtful.] Hmm, but I've never done a backflip before...

[Not unless it's off a diving board with a pool under him.]

[dorkypantsuit]

[Ah, damn, well then.]

A one handed handstand?

[puddingemote]

Oh! I can try that!

[He bends down into a handstand, and once he's up, he carefully lifts his left arm up until he's raised it perpendicular to the ground.

He can only stay that way for a few seconds before he starts to wobble and lands back on his feet.]

[dorkypantsuit]

[Ψiioniic laughs amused by the attempt.]

Cool, you did it. Are you a gymnast or something?

[puddingemote]

No. I'm an idol.

[No elaboration on that fact. Instead, he rubs the back of his neck, looking at the Ψiioniic.]

Aren't you gonna pay me?

[dorkypantsuit]

[He laughs again, pushing his hair out of his eyes, he has four of them.]

I can't give you money, but I can get you a free play at one of the games if you're interested.

[otokogi]

[ He's not entirely sure how he ended up on this side of the counter but there Mitsuki is, stirring the next batch of dough for the fryer. It feels wonderfully familiar, even if he'd rather be finding out where the performers are, but then he's distracted from both his longing for a stage and his stirring.

He knows that hoodie anywhere, but even more than that, he knows that foodnado happening anywhere. ]

Oi, Tamaki! Slow down, you'll get a bad stomach eating so fast!!

[puddingemote]

[Eh? He knows that voice...

Tamaki stops shoveling food into his black hole of a mouth long enough to look back over at the counter. Ah, so Mitsuki is here... this must not be a bad place if the other members are here.]

Mikki... you're no fun. [He huffs, but takes slower bites.] What are you doing over there?

[otokogi]

Neither is being sick at a carnival, you know.

[ Mitsuki sets the bowl aside and comes up to the counter. He's not sure if he should tell Tamaki the real story, but maybe it'll make him understand that actions have consequences. ]

Something happened when I was in the fun house and one of the mirrors got cracked. When I came out the attendant just told me to come over here to talk to someone about paying for it, but instead of sending me to a manager, they stuck me in here! I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding.

[ He glances behind Tamaki but there's no sign of anybody else, which seems unusual. ]

Tamaki, are you here alone?

[puddingemote]

You broke a mirror?

[Tamaki is so amused by that idea that he actually has to stop to laugh a bit at it. Mitsuki is always saying that he's a responsible adult, but he broke something? That's hilarious! And it can't take that long to pay off a mirror, right?

But at the question, he looks around like he expects someone to materialize, before looking back at Mitsuki.]

Yeah. So what?

[otokogi]

I didn't say that!

[ It's true but he didn't say it so stop implying things, sheesh. He has reputation to uphold; Sougo's the one who breaks things. Most of the time, anyway. And Mitsuki doesn't think it'll take that long either but there is that whole seven years of bad luck thing.

Mitsuki looks past Tamaki when he starts to look around. He's not sure who else might be here either, after all. ]

Nothing, I was just asking. ... Wait. Why are you alone?

[puddingemote]

[He didn't have to say it, it was the only conclusion. Though Tamaki would definitely agree that Sougo is the one who breaks things, especially if you give him a weapon (which, in Tamaki's opinion, you should never do).]

Because I walked out here by myself.

[Unfortunately, if Mitsuki wants to know why he walked out here by himself, he'll have to ask more questions. Tamaki still isn't any better at explaining things.]

Are you alone, Mikki?

circle!

[kagehira]

Nha!? Money?

( To be honest, Mika was already inwardly bristling from the approach alone, and now with such an outright question he isn't entirely sure what to do with himself. Though, well, there isn't really much he can do; he hasn't got any money on him anyway, or at least, nothing that he can really afford to spare, so he shakes his head ruefully. )

Nn, I couldn't give ya anything even if I wanted to. Since I'm poor, after all. Don't ya got anything of value?

[puddingemote]

Uh...

[Tamaki pulls out the pockets of his pants, producing nothing but pocket lint and a few keys on a Ousama Pudding mascot keyring. Then he pulls out the pockets of his hoodie, producing a few Ousama Pudding mascot stickers.]

Ousama Pudding stickers.

[They're super valuable(?).]

[kagehira]

( 100% valuable, Mika's not gonna doubt it. Also, he's a little relieved that the other's eyes no longer focused on him, really. )

I think that'll work... If ya bring 'em up to the front, they'll give ya tickets for whatever ya need, yeah?

( It's one of the things Mika tried, personally. It's just too hard for him to resist food stalls and all the cute stuffed animals that are hung up in the game stalls, but he has to be especially strategic with what little pocket money he does have. )

[puddingemote]

Oh, alright.

[He'd rather just have someone pay for him to play the games, but that option has been shot down, so he has to try paying his own way. So long to his Ousama Pudding stickers...]

Are you gonna play games too?