TEST DRIVE

[ironwood]

TEST DRIVE MEME - TU SHANSHU EDITION!

Itching to try out writing a character? Then rev up your engines, grab your accounts, and slam your way into this meme! Here is a venue for you to try out whatever character there might be tickling your fancy, from fandom to OC, for as few as one and as many as MANY. Seriously, there's no limit.

How do you partake in this fantastic congregation of character testing? Why, by following these simple steps:

1. Comment with the journal of a character you want to test; put their name and canon in the subject line for added sparkles.
2. Tag around with everyone!
3. Profit like you live on a the back of a turtle!
4. Maybe even reserve so you CAN live on the back of a turtle!

But wait, there's more! For the low, low price of $9,999.99, you can even use one of our handy prompts when you tag someone. You could even pick one with a Random Number Generator to help decide which prompt to go with!

1. A Chance Meeting at the Turtle's Head.
   Remember, being here causes a great sense of-- well, shall we say inner peace.
2. Haggling Over Something in the Marketplace!
   Maybe someone else saw the exact same shiny thing you did at the exact same moment! However shall this be resolved? Remember: blood is extremely hard to scrub off of turtleshell!
3. Have Met Before? Because I Could've Sworn I've Seen You In My Dreams.
   Have you wandered into the realm of Dreaming via an archway in Keeliai? Here, everything is shaped to your character's individual mind. Dreams can be shared between characters and will result in a meshing of minds. These dreams can be positive or negative, depending on your character.
4. Dramatic Chase Sequence!
   You're running away from something! It could be anything, from a rampaging kirin to a gaggle of overly enthusiastic children, or even one of the newest editions to Keeliai's menagerie, an incredibly affectionate turtle the size of a minivan! One way or another, you can't stop, and much like a katamari ball, you feel obligated to grab everyone in your path along the way to keep them out of danger! Or perhaps you're more the sort to try and knock them into it as a distraction...?
5. Walking in a Winter Wonderland
   Tu Vishan's entered colder waters and snow now abounds all over the turtle. Are you out enjoying the cold? Maybe trying on some extra warm layers of clothing? Building a snow turtle for the kids to play with? Then this option's for you!
6. WILDCARD!
   Go nuts. Suddenly your character is fighting dragons! Good God, they've found the Millennium Falcon drifting in the ocean! Do you really feel the need to polish every paving stone in the Earth Sector? Please note, Wildcard options are also what you can choose to do if you aren't yet comfortable in the Tu Shanshu setting and would prefer a more 'dear-mun' esque experience. Please specify in your post!

Comments

carol marcus ✩ star trek xi(i)

[desarmer]

Yaaay! Let's go with 4

[asouthron]

[ It's a perfectly wintry day in Keeliai and that's half the damn problem. It's only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose with good cheer... Like a rogue snowball fight in the Water Sector. ]

Alright, damnit! This stopped bein' funny ten-goddamn-minutes ago--Jesus! [ He ducks at just the right moment when a snowball goes sailing past his head. Foreigners and kedan alike are pushed to the side as McCoy and a herd of Jack Frost's kid army run after him. ]

Marcus! [ Where in the holy hell had she--? Doesn't matter! Not now at any rate. He grabs her by the arm and pulls her along though with him into the light crowd. It's probably comedy gold to anyone watching, but those kids are dangerous! He can't in good conscience let her be overtaken by them. ] Just keep runnin'!

[desarmer]

_{( perfectly wintry equal perfectly inhospitable, for carol. science blues are all well and good for time spent aboard the enterprise, but completely impractical for any and all snowy environs. so she’s standing there, shivering, when doctor mccoy appears out of nowhere and grabs her by the arm. it takes a split second for it all to register—her legs start moving before she even realizes it—but eventually she’s got a clear picture. )}

Doctor McCoy! _{( her teeth are still chattering, so that might account for the slight tremor in her voice. for some reason she’s still running, because she’s come to consider him a man with a good head on his shoulders, and he wouldn’t have given the order/suggestion if it wasn’t in her best interest. right? )} What is going on—

[asouthron]

[ Good question. Unfortunately, McCoy's answer isn't. He's developed a nasty habit of rubbing the kids in his sector the wrong way and working them up into a frenzy. It was funny the first couple of times, but they've figured out how to get the better of the old man now that it's cold and his delicate Georgian sensibilities can't handle it.

So what does he tell the Lieutenant? ]

Territorial dispute! [ Christ, he winces at his own pathetic words. ] Happens all the time 'round here! Serpentine! Most of 'em aren't that good a shot...!

[desarmer]

_{( so she's still running, but she's also giving him the most disbelieving of looks. because, really? a starfleet officer running away from a territorial dispute? that's a little hard to wrap her head around. )}

So when you say most of them-- _{( there isn't time to finish that thought, because a "shot" hits her flat in the back. she squirms, because that's snow going down the back of her neck, until she realizes that that's snow going down the back of her neck. )}

They've got rather archaic weaponry, wouldn't you agree?

[asouthron]

[ Welcome to the turtle, Miss Marcus! Starfleet bravado doesn't mean much here. ]

And too damn effective for my taste...

[ Now that they're running down the main street, McCoy lets up on the gas and ushers her through a weather-worn door to safety. For something so simple, it's extremely effective what with it being a bar and all. No kids allowed!

The bartender doesn't even bother acknowledging McCoy anymore when he pulls these stunts, just continues to clean glasses and set up chairs. At this time of day it's practically empty, which suits him just fine since there's a lot thy need to discuss without distraction. ]

Well, I have to say I didn't expect my day to turn out like this... [ It's as close to an apology for dragging her into his childish bullshit as his flayed dignity will allow. ] Then again, I'm sure you didn't either.

[desarmer]

What’s that, Doctor? Can’t take a little snowball fight? <sub>( and yes, she may be laughing a little. she grew up in england, and snowy seasons are old hat for her. she lets him guide her into the bar, immediately cupping her hands and blowing into them, trying to warm herself up. she takes in their surroundings with a perfunctory but assessing gaze—a bar. alright, she can work with that.

she smiles at him, a little wryly. )</sub> If that’s your way of saying you’d like to buy me a drink to make up for it, I won’t decline.

[asouthron]

[ No, frankly, he can't. A cold gust of wind is enough to get him grousing--Well, that and about everything else, but still. Who knew living on the back of a turtle in a barbaric time would get worse when the temperature dropped. Shocking. ]

Ha, well, guess it's the least I can do. Besides, you'll be needin' it after we have a lil' chat...

[ He's getting real tired of being the first on sight as the welcoming committee. Why can't the others be lucky enough to constantly stumble upon the untainted? Next time he sees Jim, he's going to have the man make pamphlets that read: "So You've Been Shanghaied to the back of a Turtle..." It'd save him a lot of time.

With this impending talk leaving a sour taste in his mouth, McCoy ushers her to the bar to sit down. ]

What's yer poison, Doctor?

[desarmer]

I'm beginning to see that, yes. <sub>( because although poking fun at him is enough to lift her spirits, she's seen enough to know that there is a problem and it only starts with the giant turtle.

nevertheless, she seats herself primly and promptly crosses one ankle over the other, looking entirely too at home in this place. )</sub>

Gin and tonic, if it's available. If not, anything'll do.

5

[dow]

Lieutenant.

[ That Spock is wrapped up in several layers and is currently missing a glove and hat shouldn't be important. Clearly, the fact his ears are turning green in the heavy snowfall is negligent compared to the fact Carol is in Keeliai, and he edges politely through the crowd like a truck until he is close enough for his breath to swirl between them. ]

How long have you been in this city and did you arrive with a Starfleet-issue communicator?

[desarmer]

_{( well, doesn't he know how to make a girl feel welcome. carol's currently got her arms wrapped around her chest, trying to stave off the biting cold. it isn't helping much. so she just gives the commander a look, trying to ignore the fact that she just saw him an hour ago on the bridge, and he definitely wasn't dressed like that. )}

Mr. Spock.

About an hour and yes, I did. I'm also doing quite well, thank you for asking.

[dow]

It is obvious you are not doing quite well, Lieutenant, as I might reasonably infer your average body-temperature is well below acceptable levels. Your point is taken, however.

[ So he shrugs off his outer coat and holds it open for her to make use of, thick and woollen with a Vulcan look about it. Underneath he has a couple of long-sleeved layers left, whereas her dress isn't doing much of anything to stave off the winter chill. ]

Wear this to avoid an onset of influenza. [ That done, he continues. ] What is the last thing you remember from our universe?

[desarmer]

_{( oh. that's actually kind of sweet. so she takes the offered coat and slips into it, immediately feeling better even if her cheeks are going to be rosy for a while. )}

Thank you.

_{( something about his tone makes it easy to slip into protocol, so the first thing she rattles off is the stardate. then: )} We had just pulled out of spacedock.

[dow]

I see.

[ Brow arching, he finds himself still the furthest along their time-line. Nodding ahead, he clasps his hands behind his back and leads the way. ]

How familiar are you with the existence of nexuses and M-theory?

[desarmer]

Well, considering I am a physicist... _{( her tone isn't offended, though; just teasing. there's even a smile playing on her lips. she's shoved her hands into the folds of the coat, stretching her fingers to circulate blood. )}

I'm familiar. What has that got to do with this?

[dow]

Of advanced weaponry. [ Unless she plans to piece the space-time continuum or invest in creating a new planet with its own time-line but what are the odds of that ...

Spock continues. ]

This is not a pocket dimension as it fails to remain linked to a singular universe, instead containing the natives of many. We are both temporally and spatially secluded from reality as we know it via a subspace fracture in confluence with a region of an interfold layer formed between dimensions. That we are trapped in subspace is a theory favorably received by my research efforts regarding the existence of tetryon subatomic particles. Obviously, our primary mission is to create a rupture with subharmonics to counteract any graviton pulses and step back into our universe.

[ Which is the short-hand edition. ]

I will loan you my tricorder with a more comprehensive database on the nature of the method of our detainment. I advise you to read it and consult Ensign Chekov before making an official report to the captain.

[desarmer]

A specialty isn’t a limitation in understanding. _{( she says, very smoothly. but then she’s just listening with rapt attention to everything he says, and one could almost see the cogs moving in her head as she catalogues each bit of information and gives herself a clearer picture of this place. she pauses, before responding, bites down on the inside of her mouth as she thinks. )}

If you’ve managed to figure out that much, you must have been here long enough to run tests. _{( and that fits, with his explanation of temporal isolation, but she’s still working though the implications. )}

How long have you been here, Commander?

[dow]

It narrows your immediate field. I have been here approximately sixty-three days, fifteen hours. I intend to run experiments once I have more conclusive evidence, given the alternative outcome to creating a successful rupture would be inverting one.

[ Nobody wants a black hole in their breakfast cereal. ]

That is not all. The crew is from different points along the time-line. I am from stardate 2261.147, abducted during negotiations with Commander Kor of the Klingons when he intercepted an investigative away team on Khitomer.

[ Anything more than that, she doesn't immediately need to know. ]

[desarmer]

Well, that does sound important. _{( not batting at eye at the fact that the specifics mean nothing to her, as it's only to be expected. )}

We'll have to do our best to get everything all straightened out.

[dow]

Indeed. Your skills will prove invaluable.

[ Not enough scientists on the turtle, not ever. ]