livinglot | ⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: WISMUTH

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test drive meme

⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: WISMUTH

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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...]

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

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?? ]

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.]

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. ]

[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.]

[ 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. ]

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

[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.

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

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!]

How would I know? [Yukio hasn't been here long enough to be an expert on the Ringmaster.]

[That gets an exasperated huff from her. Don't you sass her!! She's not expecting him to know everything, but he's been here longer than she has. He might have something useful to share!!]

That's--jeez, never mind. How long have you been here, anyway?

[Shura come on you know sass is one of his defense mechanisms.]

I've been here for less than a month. My brother's been here for longer, have you seen him yet? [You can tell who's been here longer, Yukio's got one fairly simple change and Rin barely looks human anymore.]

[can't they go back to her stealing his allowance and him being a mega wimp that was easier to handle]

Yeah.

[Oooh yeah, she saw.]

I just about pissed myself when I realized it was him.

[She's still in shock, though he still seemed to be her stupid student under that dragon nose.]

[never. he must become stronger.]

Apparently he's doing well here. From what I've heard, he's found a job he can handle. [You know, as opposed to a job he keeps constantly screwing up.]

[SO DIFFICULT she'd kill shiro for telling her to look after him if he wasn't already dead]

He seems to really like that kinda thing. I knew he was good at it, but I didn't ever think he'd be doin' it for a livin'.

[But hey now, stop worrying about your brother's mistakes that usually end up working out okay, Mr. I'mrunningofftotheIlluminatiwithoutaplan.]

I'm surprised he hasn't set the tent on fire yet. [Look now it's "trash talk Rin" time, not "acknowledge that Yukio has issues" time.]

Does he know?

[whoops shouldn't have brought your bro up since Shura's more than willing to tell him about the entire Satan-chills-out-in-my-eyeball thing]

[He goes cold again, a queasy chill clamping down on his chest again as he tries to keep his expression blank.]

No. [If Rin knew, if Rin knew--

Yukio doesn't think he could stand that sort of pity.]

I told him. Back home.

[Should she make it an ultimatum to tell his brother? It would be best if he did, but...

No, not yet. She sighs, turning the ice pack over in her hand to press the cooler side to her jaw.]

I ain't promisin' to keep it a secret if it comes down to it, but I'm not gonna go off tellin' him right this second.

[It would be much, much better if Yukio did it himself.]

He doesn't need to know. [And Yukio won't tell him, he can't.

He's good at keeping secrets from his brother. Father Fujimoto taught him that, and Yukio's always been such a good student.]

[yeah and shiro's kinda dead now because of the entire satan thing, sooooo let's try a new strategy here

Shura frowns. Her teeth grit, which just sends a throb of pain through her jaw.]

Keeping him in the dark ain't going to help him. Or you.

Telling him won't help anything either! [Yukio snaps back, and there's all that raw emotion again, just breaking through the cracks.]

Keepin' secrets ain't gonna help either of you survive!

[Her fingers curl into a fist around the ice pack, her temper flaring. If this was anyone else, she might back down and let it be. If it was a stranger, then they could screw off and face the consequences of their own stupid actions. But this wasn't anyone, it was Yukio, and he mattered to her.]

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