Test Drive Meme | April 2014

[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 turtle shell!
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. Darker Days
   Malicant's flexing his chaos muscle and causing havoc on the shell! You could run into some evil cultists in a dark alley, try to infiltrate the possessed palace, or work on hacking the console function back from the technopathic baddie.
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

Katara | Avatar: The Last Airbender

[water_whipped]

lmk if this is okay

[spiritjourneys]

[Jinora is in Dreaming. She's not entirely aware of it, though she recognizes that something feels strange. Although she's standing in the Spirit World, it's not that feeling of strange. It's different.

Still, she's almost happy to be exploring the world again. There wasn't much time before, what with the fate of the world at stake. Even though she had a lot of bad experiences here, Jinora still marvels at the beauty of it all-- the bright green trees and the beautiful butterflies and gentle spirits going about their business. She's standing on the hilltop, a few butterflies fluttering around her as she soaks up the sun and the warmth of the Spirit World. After a moment or two, she looks around for something or, rather, someone.]

Furry-foot! Where'd you go?

So totally okay!

[water_whipped]

[ Unlike her brother, Aang, and this totally adorable child atop a nearby hill, Katara has never visited the Spirit World. She supposes, though, that this must it; the colors are too bright, air too peaceful to be anywhere else. It's as if her eyes have been closed her entire life and she's just now opening them.

Which is all well and good except for the fact that, you know, she doesn't know how she got here and, as such, has no idea how to get back home.

She gestures toward the girl on the hill. ]

Hello?

[spiritjourneys]

[That's not the sound of Furry-foot. That's definitely a person, which is a surprise. She's never seen another person here before that hadn't been someone she knew. Jinora makes her way down the hill toward the stranger.]

Hi! I didn't know anyone else was here. Um, not a human, at least.

[water_whipped]

[ Katara assumes Jinora is referring to spirits, the good kind, the Painted Lady kind, and refuses to acknowledge the alternative. This can be her happy place, right? It certainly seems like it.

Also, Jinora looks very, very familiar. It's a little unsettling. ]

I'm lost, I think! Is this... do you know where we are?

[spiritjourneys]

[Jinora doesn't seem to have made the connection yet. Who expects to see their grandmother young and in the Spirit World?

She looks concerned.]

You're in the Spirit World. But something about it feels kind of strange. Not in a bad way, just a different way.

Did you end up here accidentally? I didn't know you could. I can try to help you find a way out.

[water_whipped]

[ It's even less likely that Katara will figure it out, but she knows something's up with the air nomad clothes and the way she seems so at home here. Is she an Airbender? Where did she come from? Who is she, really? ]

I guess I did. How did you end up here?

[spiritjourneys]

[Eventually Jinora will notice the necklace. Eventually. Right now, she realizes that she shouldn't even be here.]

Well, if I meditate at a really spiritual spot, I can enter the Spirit World. [She furrows her brow.] But I don't remember doing any of that.

We should find a way out as soon as we can-- it's not good to stay away from our bodies too long.

[water_whipped]

[ That's an understatement. Katara has many strengths, but spirituality isn't one of them. She probably has as much spiritual energy in her whole body as Aang has in his pinky finger. And her greatest asset - her bending - is rendered null here in the Spirit World. ]

Okay. What do we need to do?

[spiritjourneys]

We should start where we entered. Do you remember where you came in?

[theleaf]

[Katara will feel an abrupt tug on her pant leg too long, at which time she may or may not look down to find a small child staring up at her with a wide, toothy grin.]

I'm lost.

Will you help me, beautiful stranger?

[water_whipped]

[ Katara quirks an eyebrow. Beautiful stranger?

The kid is very young, though, and vaguely familiar - is he in air nomad garb? - so she bends down to eye level. ]

Of course I will. [ Katara is lost herself, though, so it'll be the blind leading the blind. ] What's your name? How did you get out here all by yourself?

[theleaf]

I'm Meelo.

[Oh, wow, she was even prettier in person! Which made it so much easier to not be afraid of the situation.]

The alien spirits kidnapped me. But I escaped. It was easy pickings!

[water_whipped]

[ Katara is... going to ignore the evil alien spirits for now because honestly, Meelo, what do you expect her to do with that??

Did evil alien spirits kidnap her ? Was she easy pickings, too?

... better to just gloss over that part for now. ]

I'm Katara! Where are you from? You did all the hard work escaping, but now we have to figure out how to get you back home.

[theleaf]

[Katara...Katara...hey, wait, he knew that name!]

That's my gran-gran's name too!

Do you know my gran-gran? She lives in the South Pole. But I don't live with her. I live with mommy and daddy and my sisters. Oh, and the baby too, I guess. He's a boy.

[water_whipped]

[ A great feeling of misgiving begins to brew. A super great, oh my lord, there's only ever been one Katara from the Southern Water Tribe ever kind of feeling. ]

Maybe I do know her. [ It's not even possible. How could it be possible? ] What's she like? Is she nice? Is she, uh, a Waterbender?

[theleaf]

[Meelo's eyes brighten, and he smiles at the thought of this Katara knowing Gran-Gran Katara.]

Uh-huh!

She's the bestest Water Bender ever! She taught Korra.

[water_whipped]

[ He's just adorable. ]

And who is Korra?

6; Shellside

[alphatar]

[If there's one job Korra enjoys, it's fishing. On the very edge of Tu Vishan's shell, the young Avatar is moving her arms through motions she's practiced time and again when she was learning in the compound; and now that training is paying off as she expertly maneuvers a spout of water over the ocean. A fish rarely flies out into one of the large baskets near her.]

Naga. [The warning gets the polar bear dog's head out of the nearest basket.]

I wonder why there's not that many fish today. [Sudden barking gets Korra's attention and she turns to see,

a water tribe girl?]

Oh, wow. Hi. [Last thing she's expecting to see is a Southern Water Tribe foreigner, and the fact that Korra's not able to figure out why there's a vague familiarity isn't helping.]

Did you just get here?

the elusive man-fish is only seen when he wants to be seen

[water_whipped]

[ Katara did just get here, but don't ask her how. She found herself just sitting here at the edge of giant turtle's shell (just a regular turtle, mind you), watching the other girl fish by manipulating the water. She has so many questions rattling around in her brain that she can't seem to pick which one to start with. ]

You have excellent form, but here, I'll show you a trick.

[ Katara flicks her wrist toward the ocean. She inhales; all at once she can visualize the water around her -- all the water around her -- including the water that makes up the few fish in the area. She flexes her wrist and POP! A fish flies into the basket. ]

My brother calls it cheating, but he's never once complained about dinner.

thus the hunt continues

[alphatar]

Okay, now that's really cool. Let me give it a shot.

[Korra looks in the basket and then upwards, her eyes taking the girl in. Hairstyle, the older style of clothing, and her face.]

Is your brother here too? I'm Korra by the way. [She flicks her wrist at the ocean and keeps an eye over her shoulder for the girl's answer. Apprehension of trying to place her is strong and almost overwhelming.]

all the fish in the ocean are hiding from the man-fish

[water_whipped]

I'm not sure, but I hope so. So far I haven't met anyone I knew from home.

[ It's honestly kind of surreal that she's here in the first place, Korra, you'll have to forgive her. She's all off balance, and nothing you're going to tell her is going to help with that.

The feeling of unease and apprehension is mutual. ]

I'm Katara from the Southern Water Tribe. It's nice to meet you. Are you... from the North?

[ It isn't really the question she wanted to ask, but it'll do. ]

or; something else?

[alphatar]

[Any concentration to try en emulate Katara's fishing trick flies out the window and Korra's mouth goes slightly slack at the name. The last person she's expecting here is her waterbending master, and that's just normally.

But as a teenager?]

No. Southern Water Tribe too. [Her answer's automatic as she looks at Katara, seeing her differently for the very first time.

And Naga abruptly barks again, though it's different this time. Aggressive and at the ocean of all things. Korra turns around to see the large tentacles with flippers on the end rise up and latch onto the shell. A hard shell breaks the surface, underneath it are eyes just as big as a person.

The world of Konryu's own version of a kraken.]

Not again. [Korra turns to Katara, her hands coming up to waterbend. All she's ever known is an elderly waterbending master, but now...]

I can handle this, you can take Naga and get back to the city. [So that's why there isn't many fish today.]

gdi korra this is why we can't have nice things

[water_whipped]

But that's impossible, I'm the only -

[ She quickly climbs to her feet only moments before the giant sea monster emerges from the ocean and clamps onto the turtle shell. Pulse racing, she brings her arms up defensively as if to shield both herself and her new Southern Tribe (???) friend.

Sorry, Korra. This Katara is no gomer; she's at the peak of her game. ]

What?! No way am I leaving! This thing could attack the city!

[ Well, she IS leaving the shell. She bends the water to her left into an ice surfboard and starts to bend to waves to get closer to the agitator.

She beckons Korra to join her. ]

naga started it!

[alphatar]

All right. Steer clear of the tentacles! This thing will eat anything.

[Korra nods and runs forward, jumping off the shell and moving her arms so a funnel of water holds her up.]

Last time I froze its eyes shut and it left, guess it’s holding a grudge. [She had to raise her voice over the creature’s high pitched roar.]

Katara! I’ll get its attention and try to get it away from the turtle, think you can work on taking it down? [Korra’s already raising a large chunk of ice from the water behind her, ready to rock the shell-head.] When we’re far enough away, I’ll help.