⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: WISMUTH

[ringleaders]

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. Recruits can be either willing or tricked this month. 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↴ ⇨ WISMUTH ⇦ Wismuth is a large coastal city on the east shore of what would usually be the United States. The world it's part of is an Earth variant, meaning that while some aspects may be different, overall it will contain a similar look and feel to Earth many are accustomed to, including some overlapping celebrities, corporations, and technologies. Its most notable feature is that this planet is a part of what is called a 'Pillar of Creation' - a focal point of Creation's energies in the multiverse. The effects of this feature are the only aspect of the setting that will be relevant for this testdrive, as recruits will be entirely within the carnival as opposed to out in the city. ► VIBRANCY OF CREATION: The immediate effects of this trait are that everything in Wismuth, and in the carnival because of its connection to Wismuth, is filled with an unusual sort of vibrancy - colours seem brighter, sounds seems to resonate more deeply, and all other physical sensations will strike visitors as oddly intense, including their own emotions. It's a subtle effect rather than anything that will be overtly disorientating, but it's almost as if everything is more "real" here than it is anywhere else. Obviously, the locals, whom are mostly just ordinary looking humans, have had plenty of time to grow accustomed to this. On the bright side, as a tourist, you have the opportunity to experiment with this sensation as a form of recreation. Recruits from this month will be signing on with the carnival between Day 8 and Day 11 on the season calendar. 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!

Comments

[reflash]

She moved the entire Carnival from one world to another without any apparent effort. She can distort spacetime to keep people here. I've heard rumors that she can raise the dead. [Nothing confirmed, just hints and rumors casually passed around.]

[worldlyafflictions]

[HE'S GOOD..!!]

Thanks, I put a lot of effort inta my research!

[exaomori]

So like some overpowered Faerie version of Mephisto?

[Well. Minus the raising the dead. That was a little concerning. But if it was just a rumor, then she'd treat it as such.]

You have some painkillers in here, right? Where are they?

[Casually just going to start rifling through drawers and cabinets. She knows what she's looking for, it's just a matter of where it is.]

[exaomori]

Research?

[Did he mean he was researching cute things specifically to appeal to girls... because that's weird. Not a bad strategy, though.]

[reflash]

[He nods agreement, and then... then it's time to be professional. He has a job to do. He needs to shut all of this down and turn it all off and be Okumura the Medic again.]

Take a seat and I'll get some for you. Where are you injured?

[exaomori]

[He really must have been in a panic if he didn't remember where he hit her. But really, it isn't like she doesn't know how to take care of something small like this. Letting someone else take care of her when she was perfectly able would be embarrassing.]

It ain't big, I can take care of it.

[Except when she raises her arm to reach for a bottle that looks like it might have something good there's a twinge in her shoulder, enough to make her hesitate. Jeez, what a pain...]

[reflash]

I am contracted to work as a medic. [Let him do his job, Shura.]

[exaomori]

I toldya, it ain't anything big!

[ So maybe it's a bit of a pride thing. She hasn't actually been hurt since Hachiro's contract was broken, and she doesn't want to admit that she's bothered editing by the pain?? ]

[reflash]

Then you don't need treatment for it. [And the smile's back, but at least it's his "done with this bullshit" smile rather than that smirk.]

[exaomori]

I just want some aspirin, Four-eyes!

[ Just give her the pills, bro!! And an ice pack--her face is looking a tad bit swollen now. ]

[reflash]

[He tosses something towards her out of a pocket on his belt. There's your aspirin.

Then he goes over to a row of cabinets and pulls out an ice pack, the sort of plastic thing that he crushes in one still-angry fist to pop the internal chemical pack before throwing it towards Shura.]

What job did they give you? [Please tell him you're some kind of snake charmer, Shura.]

[exaomori]

[ What kind of bedside manner is this?? He could have just handed things to her!! But Shura can catch the medicine and the ice pack easily enough. She'd ask for something to take the pills with, but she doesn't want a bottle of water coming at her head. ]

Patrol. I don't wanna think about what a pain that's going to be.

[ Nope, no snake charming. She's retired from that life, thank you! But she'll go quiet for a moment after that, holding the ice pack to her face. Gotta get some saliva to swallow down the pills. ]

[reflash]

It shouldn't be too difficult. The majority of the guests here seem well-behaved.

[exaomori]

[Downing the pills isn't fun, but she'll manage to choke them down as he speaks. Her voice does sound a little rough when she replies after a second, but nothing too bad. ]

Ain't the guests I'm worried about.

[reflash]

Are you concerned about demonic activity? [Seriously, Shura?]

[exaomori]

That ain't what I'm talkin' about! [Not exactly] How is she tellin' the guests from the unwanted visitors?

[Those weren't the same as guests!! Besides, some of the people here were suspicious!]

[flashover]

Well, I'm just cooking, so... I don't really think of it like a job! [he shrugs!] But that might just be for me... I guess it depends on what she has you do...

[and unfortunately, "Sitting around getting drunk on cheap beer" isn't a job]

[flashover]

Tch... You're no fun. And right! Yammytakky. That's what I said.

[no it's not, Rin. You didn't even try. But that's not what's important right now]

... Yeah. He... was some sort of poisonous cat monster fae? I don't know. But his poison made you think he was the greatest thing ever, and that you wanted to work for him, and be his servant... [Rin draws into himself] ... I don't really want to talk about it any more.

[exaomori]

[what about sitting around getting drunk while looking super sexy??]

Well, I'm glad it's not too much trouble for you.

[She doesn't wanna work??? She asked for a demotion and got assigned to Mephisto's security detail, that's how well her job assignments have been going.]

[worldlyafflictions]

Finding out what girls like!

[That's exactly what he meant. He was gonna sulk and nurse his own glitter drink but Shura paid him a mild compliment so now he's all perky again...]

[worldlyafflictions]

[Jeez, he really does look rough. Not that Rin doesn't actually have all kinds of traumatizing stuff happening to him at home too, but he usually seems determined to power through rather than just folding up. Shima won't pry for now though, especially since it isn't literally his job at the moment, so he just gives Rin a couple semi-comforting pats on the shoulder before he shifts the bag of puffs back over for Rin to take another one.]

Well ya got out of it, so that's good. How've people here been treating ya?

Ezio Auditore da Firenze | Assassin's Creed II | Newcomer

[beneful]

A. From a Certain Point of View...

It's been said before-- often by the young man himself-- that Ezio Auditore is one of the fastest climbers in all of Firenze. Even before his training as an Assassin, the great city's numerous towers and cathedrals posed little challenge to him, and he grew up knowing Firenze's rooftops nearly as well as it's streets. It's hard for him to even imagine a structure that he could not climb.

Then again, Ezio Auditore has also never encountered the likes of a ferris wheel before.

When traveling somewhere new, it's second nature for him to seek out the highest vantage point that he can in order to get a better idea of the lay of the land. The massive circular structure is easily one of the tallest things here, and thus had immediately drawn his attention. Standing at the base of it, though, all he can do is boggle at it. Such a gigantic object maintaining motion like that... it turns and turns, as wheels tend to do, but this one seems to be doing that without the likes of water or wind to power it. If only Leonardo were here to see this; he'd likely wet himself with excitement.

"So... It is for entertainment, then?" the assassin asks the nearest person, bemused.

Alternatively, a few minutes later, you may find yourself actually on the ride in the same car as this hooded weirdo. He's a bit restless once the thing starts moving, but otherwise he's basically silent up until the compartment reaches the highest point on the wheel. When the ride pauses for a bit to allow the patrons to enjoy the view, he stirs.

"Bene. This should be high enough..."

Annnnd now the hooded weirdo is trying to climb out of the compartment and up onto the roof of it.

B. Trying to Leaf (Coco Strikes Back)

"Cazzo!"

That's the sound an Italian Assassin makes when he very narrowly avoids being crushed by the vicious blows of a gigantic murderous palm tree.

Ezio had tired of the otherworldly charms of the carnival in due time, and had thought to make his exit from this place back through the woods. As it turns out, this was the worst possible route he could have taken, unaware as he was that he would be treading right through the lair of the infamous Coco. A deft dodge-roll had taken him out of the path of a full-force wood hammer attack from the exeggutor (the impact of which blows dirt and moss and twigs up into the air from a crater centered exactly where he was standing just moments before), and at first he assumes he just evaded a regular old falling tree.

It's when the Pokemon lifts it's head-- or several heads, as it were, numerous sets of eyes all glittering with malice-- that Ezio realizes that there is something much more sinister afoot here.

"What kind of devilry is this!?" he exclaims incredulously, exasperatedly, to no one in particular. Like, that sure is a gigantic walking tree with multiple faces!! And-- is he seeing things? Is that a tail? He's had more than he can take of this bizarre fever dream of a carnival. He draws the blade at his hip and takes up a combat stance, ready to attack.

If someone could stop him before he tries to skewer the Ringmaster's pet, that would be real nice.

a!

[primadovea]

Congrats Ezio. You are being judged to hell and back by a thirteen year old girl.

Mint had been sitting calmly in the ferris wheel, watching it as it rises. As Ezio starts to climb out of the compartment, she realizes that the calm's just about going to end and it's going to end faster than she expected.

"It's only stopping for a short time, you're going to fall if you climb out!"

Well, he's probably going to fall anyway, but that's neither here nor there.

A

[sunflowerfields]

"Young man!" A voice calls out from the ground below. "You get back in that car this instant!"

Hinawa stands down there, hands on her hips, in full Mom Mode.

[beneful]

To be fair, Ezio is pretty accustomed to having people shouting at him to get down from things, and if he stopped climbing on shit every single time that happened, he'd never get anything done. At least Hinawa isn't throwing rocks or shooting arrows at him.

"Forgive me, signora! This will take but a moment," he calls back down to her, and continues to climb, utterly disregarding the scolding tone she's taking with him.