livinglot | ⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: NO ONE'S HOME

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test drive meme

⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: NO ONE'S HOME

WELCOME TO THE SHOW!↴

Or, more specifically, Lost Carnival's 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 (and should) read the full premise here.
Reserves and Applications are currently OPEN.
This month, applications can be for WILLING CHARACTERS ONLY. Meaning,
the Ringmaster will only be taking newbies on if they are willing to sign a year contract for one of her rewards.
You can apply as a newcomer or as a "veteran" character who has been in the carnival for up to three years. In the case of veteran characters, you will need to come up with an explanation of why they haven't been around the carnival recently.
TDM threads can be used as game canon after the fact if both characters are accepted, the players agree to it, and it makes any sense contextually.
If you are interested in additional IC and OOC plot responsibilities, consider applying for a Supervisor position. Head Cook and Treasurer are currently open. Otherwise, we're pretty much down for anything, roles wise.

CURRENT STOP↴

⇨ NO ONE'S HOME ⇦
This winter break, things are a bit odd down in the carnival grounds. Reason being? Almost all of the workers are currently spending their vacation up on one of the carnival's two moons, enjoying the winter wonderland the Ringmaster created for them. This means that the actual carnival area is mostly abandoned, and in this case? Anyone turning up there is doing so by total mistake. Ostensibly the Ringmaster is enjoying the eggnog a bit too much.

This will only be happening for a day or two out of the holiday schedule, but during that time your character may find themselves arriving in a totally abandoned carnivval, which is not what anyone wants. They'll be left to wander alone until they encounter other visitors, or until someone from the carnival happens upon them while stopping at the grounds for whatever reason. All ther regular attractions apply, but they are unmanned by anything but the ghoulish spectres known as cinder sprites. Without the Ringmaster here, they won't even address you.

► ABANDONED: The carnival is completely empty, and it's dark out, and, well... it's sort of spooky? None of the attractions will be running, though nothing is stopping you from wandering inside with the cinder sprites not paying much attention. It's entirely possible you could get into some trouble like that, or maybe you're just totally freaked out and desperate to find someone who can send you home.

► WILLING CANDIDATES ONLY: For the most part, unless your character does something really dastardly, all applications this month must be from WILLING APPLICANTS ONLY. This means, once your character is eventually found, they must be willing to sign on with the carnival as a new hire for one of the Ringmaster's boons. No trickery this time around! Keep that in mind when applying.

► MONSTERS LURKING: While all the workers are gone, there are a few beasts that have been left to roam while everyone else is on vacation. Along with the cinder sprites, there is also an Alolan Exeggutor that wanders the forest looking for someone to smash, and the tentacle monster that lives in the Tunnel of Love. There's also a Slenderman, but don't worry about him. He's got the intelligence of an above average dog, and probably just wants to play fetch.

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. 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 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.

► TUNNEL OF "LOVE": A brand new attraction in the carnival, the Tunnel of Love is mostly what you'd expect from such a ride - two people sit in a boat together which journeys through some glitter filled caves, complete with mood music. Unfortunately, there is also something else in there with you... in the form a moody kraken living in the waters, who has very particular opinions about shipping, and may either stubbornly interfere with any attempted intimacy, or may politely encourage it. Or they may just generally be a dick if they're in no mood for either. The Ringmaster insists it is a romance expert.

► 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.

► 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.

► 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!

► DUNK TANK: Sometimes acting like a dick will earn you the gentle reprimand of being sent to work in the Dunk Tank for the afternoon - you know that game where people throw balls at a target, and if they hit it you get dropped into the water? It's like that, only sometimes there are daunting (but harmless) critters in the water, or some other strange magical affects to spice things up. Hopefully, the visitors will have bad aim.

► 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

Oh my god!

[Papyrus repeats, in a strong mix of surprise and happiness. Yet another friend, looking the same as the last time he saw them... well over a year ago, now? After so long of just him and Sans around... it's a regular underground reunion.

He bounces out of the access tunnel, and bounds after them to catch up with the boat. There is a walkway, parallel the ride for a little while longer - then the tunnel twists away to another of the dramatic displays, meant to frighten and give the passengers an excuse to hug. Between his longer legs and his already quick strides, it won't take him long.]

When did you get here! And, are you staying?

[The question is, do they exit the boat, or do they meet up with him again at the next intersection of walk and ride?]

[It really is nice to see Papyrus again even if it's possibly a different one to the one Frisk knows. But again, only good things now.

And yeah, they're going have to meet up with the skeleton on the next intersection of the ride. It's pretty darn slippery here and while Mx. Kraken is probably a fairly Cool Dude when in a good mood, they probably wouldn't appreciate someone taking an accidental dive into the water. There's also something funky going on with their SAVE but Frisk isn't going to examine it just yet.

But they do answer his question even if it means raising their voice well above their usual volume.]

I just got here! And I think so.

[They have a shiny new contract with the Ringmaster and all.]

That's wonderful!! I've missed you, and I'm sure Alphys will be happy to see you again! Sans probably will be... after he reacts to the news..?

[Inconveniently, or perhaps very conveniently, with their paths briefly diverging it's hard to explain that comment. He ducks down that side path, jogging ahead to the next lengthy intersection.

Papyrus can't, in all honesty, promise his brother's enthusiasm. The last couple times the human's come up in conversation were all... in just about the same context as Flowey, and just look how his brother reacted there. Aggressive bones, threats, and fearful resignation.

Well, it seems like the human's happy to seem Papyrus! (And why wouldn't they be?) And the Ringmaster has some really strong rules about hurting each other. So there probably won't be any more murdery violence. A nice clean slate to get to know each other again, or for the first time.

And there's one more piece of news to impart, rather than worrying about his brother too much. Papyrus cups his mouth and calls back down the tunnel:]

Oh!! And, uh, a flowery friend of mine is around! I believe you met him! A lot.

[Nope, no more murdery violence. Not from Frisk. They're not going to be that anymore.

The diverging gives Frisk a moment to turn over Papyrus's words. It doesn't really sound like Sans was going to be too happy to see them - maybe meaning he was from a bad timeline. And that meant Frisk was going to take whatever he had to say about it.

They did that. It's only right.

And a 'flowery friend of mine' that Frisk has met a number of times. Hahaha. Yeah, they know who the skeleton is talking about.

If there's a walkway close by, they're getting off to speak with Papyrus face to face. Just gotta be careful since it's kind of slippery.]

[Yes, up here it opens up to where there's a walkway along the tunnel again. Papyrus is standing by it, waving again, prepared to walk along and talk with the boat.]

I hardly know what to catch you up on first... A lot has happened since I called you.

[But no worries, human; getting out while it's slippery is fine, if he's there. While he made a production back in their battle, a big showy display before using his real blue attack...

The truth is, that fight was show, and play. He can keep up with Undyne, and his powers are more like his brother's than he's ever felt like showing. None of that complicated sciency
metaphysical stuff going on, no gooey poisons, but grabbing a soul to keep somebody from falling is fairly easy.]

[Luckily enough, Frisk manages to get out without a huge tumble, but they know they were in retaliative safe-keeping with Papyrus around. He had been careful during their battles, never aiming to kill them and had the fineness of control to stop when their HP hit 1 before they died.

Although thinking about it brought up some less-then-fun memories but they push it aside. But speaking of...Papyrus called them. That's...not what Frisk remembers.]

Can you start at the beginning, if it's okay?

[Give them the deets Papyrus because it doesn't sound like you come from the same timeline as they do.]

[Papyrus steps back from the waterway once the human's safely on the walkway, and starts leading the way back toward the employee-only access tunnel he came from. No walking to the end of the ride without riding it properly, that's cheating!

In all honesty, it was Sans who made the phone call. He handed it off to Papyrus after a bit. But for Papyrus, the part where he was talking is the important part. Absolute precision with his magic has never made him as precise about giving credit for his accomplishments...]

Hmmm... The beginning is pretty far back. How about I start with when I first met you. And we can add in more before that, as we need to.

[Telling about his whole life would be enjoyable, but maybe too much. He coughs a throat-clearing sound, and barrels on without waiting for an answer.]

So you remember that I was a sentry, of course! Tasked by Undyne to capture you, which I very seriously wanted to do, because I could see she was hesitating to let me into the Royal Guard...

But you were just such a good sport about it all. Even if you escaped when I did capture you. And so you convinced me to be friends instead, and we hung out before you went on your way...

[Leaving a small swathe of disappeared, important figures in the Underground. Papyrus pauses, contemplating how best to tell that part.]

[So far everything Papyrus says lines up with what Frisk remembers. Erm, currently remembers. The last and most recent thing Frisk remembers. Timelines were confusing and while Frisk kept track of everything that happened - can't forget, never - but sometimes it got very mentally taxing for a twelve-year old.]

I remember. What happened next?

[It's a gentle prompting. Payprus doesn't have to tell them if he doesn't want to. Frisk isn't going to make him, after all. It wouldn't be nice.]

Ah, well... Undyne chased you all around Waterfall. I think I helped you over the phone...? And then... Undyne disappeared. After fighting you. And, and Mettaton, and Asgore.

[His voice goes a little quieter, a little more solemn. It's hard to talk about, but Sans wants to talk about it even less. Especially now, that he remembers even more worse things. And... how could he bring it up with Doctor Alphys? They aren't close friends, and she disappeared too. He certainly doesn't want to hint to her that she might have died, when he came from.]

Which, I'm sure was self defense! I know what she meant to do. What they all... said they were going to do.

[Maybe it was just part of the show with Mettaton, but maybe not. Undyne, and Asgore... there was no question with them, their intentions. Papyrus stares fixedly ahead, walking carefully through the damp tunnel past the back side of decorations. Places like this, where there's a clear path and decorations meant to surprise and frighten and entertain the guests to the carnival, they're really rather homey. It's one of the bright points of being in the janitorial staff, having the responsibility to go all over like this. And the only people whose morale he's supposed to be responsible for are himself, and maybe Sans... which is a lot easier than reassuring the whole underground.]

And, you disappeared too. But you picked up the phone! So I'm sure you left alive, as you meant to.

[Undyne, Mettaton, and Asgore disappeared. Who knows what happened to Alphys. So that left only Papyrus.

They...remember that. The phone call where Papyrus's enthusiasm wavered, if just for a moment. Before he reassured Frisk that it was fine and he'd make sure people gave up on giving up! That everything was okay when it wasn't.

And...they survived. They left.

That was right. All of Frisk's journeys throughout the Underground ended with them alive. That, alone, was consistent. Frisk can't look at Papyrus but there's a particular expression on their face.]

Yeah...I did.

[Always.]

And then you came here?

Not... immediately.

[The days after his friends went on 'vacation', and he still nearly believed it, and the underground decided on making him the interim ruler...

Those were actually some decent days. Exciting. Meeting so many people who seemed so happy to see him, telling others his hopes and feeling listened to.

It took a while for him to find out what a struggle it was, just keeping his smile up for others to take courage from. How Sans needed to cover the more logistical end, just for him to keep that energy up. The way people politely didn't outright mention death around him, when he never acknowledged it that way. Seeing how little anyone responded to anything he tried, at all, even though... the whole reason they chose him for the ruler was because they thought he'd be the best at this.

But the worst days were those just before he found the path to the carnival. When reports came from the Ruins, telling of a new human... and people finally started taking heart again, for the worst reasons. Asking things of him that... he never promised, never wanted.]

Things didn't change very much. They still had troubles... We were still underground... Some people missed Asgore's human policy, and... talked to me about it...

[Around him, really. A crowd, clamoring for him to take the soul and free them...

Papyrus shivers at the memory.]

But! Fortunately! I found a path here. And talked to the Ringmaster, who's so powerful she can just break the barrier herself?? Which is clearly the best option for everyone.

[So it wasn't...at once before they Reset in that timeline. 'Immediately', is also the word supplied to them by another voice so it's probably right.

Papyrus ruled for some time before coming here. A world where everyone was losing hope despite the optimism of their ruler and his attempts to keep them happy. And then things got...worse, by the sounds of it.

"Some people missed Asgore's human policy and...talked to me about it..."

If Frisk wasn't good at keeping a blank face, the wince may have been more obvious.]

I think...I think she is.

[They wonder, for a moment, if it would be possible to ask her for another contract. One where everyone here could be happy.]

Papyrus, I'm....um...I'm very...

[They stop walking, knowing that sorry won't fix what they did but wanting to say it anyway. It was the least they could do.]

I'm so sorry....

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: NO ONE'S HOME

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