Test Drive Meme | #38

[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: → Comment with the journal of a character you want to test; put their name and canon in the subject line for added sparkles. → Tag around with everyone! → Profit like you live on a the back of a turtle! → 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! 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! Dramatic Chase Sequence! You're running away from something! It could be anything, from a rampaging kirin to a gaggle of overly enthusiastic children! 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...? Where There's A Will, There's A...? The Life and Dreaming Planes have been merged, and sometimes what starts out as wishful thinking becomes lured into reality. That slick new motorcycle or pile of kingly treasure you were just daydreaming about? Surprise! It's just appeared in front of you. Though, it may only stay for a short while before it disappears again, so make it count. Hopefully you're not the type to daydream about terrible things befalling people you don't like... SECRET UNDERCOVER MODE ACTIVATE! The three major kedan families all have their own agendas, and you've chosen to entangle yourselves with one (or more!) of them. Are you hoping to shift the balance of power? Gain some favours? Perhaps you're on a mission to bring a criminal to justice, or maybe you just want to get the cream of the crop from the black market. Maybe you haven't been hired by them at all, but are using their name for your own goals... as long as no one discovers the lie! Wait... you want my what now?! The kedan are a curious folk, and the Foreigners are entertainment in conveniently arriving packages, especially when they come along with unique items that the kedan might not have seen before. Maybe it's your cellphone... or maybe it's your knickers! How badly do you want to keep your stuff from some overeager native shapeshifters who want to buy, bribe, or burglarize it right off your person? Sea prunes, get your sea prunes right here! Life in Keeliai can take a little getting used to: the chickens have scales, the cows have feathers, and the fruits come in more colour and pattern combinations than your average tye-dye shirt. Not to mention that meal you just ordered from the food vendor? Has arrived on the plate, and you're pretty sure you just saw it move. Everybody needs a little darkness... The Great Enemy may have been defeated over two years ago, and people are even willing to speak Malicant's name aloud now, but there remains a taint in the city never fully purged. Those who consider Malicant a dark god whose end was unjust are the cultists of Keeliai, and they aren't always so easy to identify as one might think. Sometimes their presence is felt in the growing urge to give into one's darker instincts, especially in such a foreign place... Illicit substances, anyone? Every city has its vices, and Keeliai is no different. Perhaps you actively sought it out, or perhaps an opportunistic dealer saw you as a potential customer needing a free sample, but you're now in possession of a packet of Lucid, an emotion-enhancing drug. Interested in finding out what happens when you crush that colourful crystal and ingest it? Incoming! Tu Vishan's latest landfall stop has brought an unwelcome problem to its residents: enormous, toothy creatures who look more like pterosaurs than most people are comfortable with! With a twenty-foot wingspan, these aren't exactly harmless local wildlife, and they have a nasty habit of swooping down on targets both Foreigner and kedan! How are you going to fend them off, or help someone who might have been injured by the latest dive bombing?? 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 uncontrollable urge to polish every paving stone in the Earth Sector? Anything goes!

Comments

[fierybluebird]

Aye, I don't mind grilled fish, but I hate Namur's expression when I eat it that way, so it's easier to just go with sashimi, really.

No. But meat can make me murderous. [HE JUST SAYS THIS SO CASUALLY. NO BIGGIE.] It's not a problem when we're already at war, but in the city where I have to pretend to be civilized it's a nuisance.

[akito]

...Namur?

From Fishman Island?

[ SORRY THIS IS MORE PERTINENT THAN BEING MURDEROUS. ]

[fierybluebird]

Aye?

[HEAD TILT LIKE A BIRD.]

You know of him?

[Wait you know of Namur and not Marco?! WHY?! HASN'T HE BEEN FLASHY ENOUGH!? SPARKLES AND OLDEST BRO AND FIRST DIVISION COMMANDER AND FLYING AND HEALING?!]

[He will go cry on Thatch, just you watch.]

[akito]

Un! The shark Fishman who is a division commander for Pops Whitebeard?

[fierybluebird]

[Temporarily puffs a cheek out.]

[What the hell does he have to do to be famous these days?]

[Bad enough that Ace was always right at his heels threatening to overtake him. Now Nam-chan?!]

Right. Eighth division commander. Blue-gray shark skin, [Pulls out cheeks with fingers inside to mimic Namur's gigantically wide shark grin.] Lots of rows of teeth, an 8 on his neck near the gills, [Points to his own neck which does not have the tattoo, though his chest has one.] And he's always wearing Crimin brand designer clothes -- provided he can get away with it. It's been a couple of years so he's had to adjust to letting me or Thatch make a fin-sleeve ourselves in the back of his clothes. Good practice for making hoodies for pigeons. [WHY WOULD ANYONE MAKE HOODIES FOR PIGEONS. Because Marco.]

You know if you're going to fangirl him and not me, I'm going to get jealous though, eh. [No, really, he will.]

1/3

[akito]

Ah! He sounds super cool! Sharks are the best! I wasn't sure if Oniichan was exaggerating or not when he told us about Namur and Jimbei! Is it true he's really tall?

Reactions down the page because it's funnier this way 1/2 OUTWARDLY

[fierybluebird]

[.........]

[You just HAD to mention the height thing.]

[God.]

[Why are all his brothers seven feet or taller except Izou, Haruta, and Ace? Seriously?]

[And that's not even taking into account the really big ones like Jozu and Atomos and Blenheim who are in the 20-feet range like Pops.]

[Outwardly, Marco maintains the straightest of line faces.]

[No fucks given.]

Aye, Jinbei too.

2/2 INWARDLY

[fierybluebird]

[Inwardly he curls up into a little Marco ball of moe and wibbles.]

[He could be taller too if his growth wasn't stunted by his devil fruit's insistence on keeping him short and tiny like a bird!]

[HEIGHT'S NOT EVERYTHING!]

[Sparkles are totally better uwu.]

[He would go cry on Thatch about how people used to ask for HIS autograph not talk about Jinbei and Namur and mope dramatically with flair about it...]

[But then he'd also have to punch Thatch for being too tall.]

[He might do that anyway. Just because.]

2/3

[akito]

[ but of course, the last comment confuses him. ]

...Eh? Why would I fangirl over a strange guy with a weird haircut?

1/2 Outwardly

[fierybluebird]

[OUTWARDLY HE JUST LOOKS VAGUELY ANNOYED.]

[Weird indeed.]

2/2 INWARDLY

[fierybluebird]

[INWARDLY HE IS ALREADY RUNNING TO CRY ON THATCH THAT NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CARRYING ON THE PINEAPPLE PRINCE LEGACY EXCEPT HIS WIFE AND HE IS NOT EVEN SURE GRELL BELIEVES HIM OR JUST HUMORS HIM BUT THAT IS OKAY BECAUSE GRELL IS THE BEST.]

[BUT STILL.]

[T_T]

[Not that he cares about his hair.]

[Shut up.]

[Where's Thatch?]

no wait, I lied

[akito]

[ ... not just any weird haircut, but a pineapple haircut.

so he's an old guy with pineapple hair who knows a lot about namur, apparently seamstresses for namur, along with thatch, who was also a division commander. ]

...

outwardly

[fierybluebird]

[Well you know, whatever. He will just make his way to Thatch, bid his goodbyes, and see if he can't send Namur the kid's way. It's fiiiiiine. Totally fine.]

4/3 shh

[akito]

You're Marco, the cute blue-fire phoenix?

1/2

[fierybluebird]

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING CUTE?!

[All that composure wasted on a reflexive reaction oops.]

[It's a hella good thing you're girly and remind him of Toby though or you'd get a punch to the head for that.]

2/2

[fierybluebird]

[DEEP BREATH.]

[He's okay.]

[Just a little sulky.]

[Even if he puffs up slightly like an irritated peacock.] I'll have you know that the haircut is treasured memento and proof of the fierce and and dangerous nature of phoenixes.

[SO THERE.]

1/2

[akito]

2/2

[akito]

Cute doesn't mean you aren't fierce and dangerous! Cute just makes you even more dangerous.

[ trust him on this, marco. he knows. ]

I didn't think I'd ever get to meet Oniichan's phoenix brother though! He'll be happy to see you when he catches up with me!

[ still convinced ace is gonna show up any minute. because he and ace always go on adventures together and ace was right there with him! so why wouldn't he be here too? especially if it's nautilus being weird... ]

1/3

[fierybluebird]

[alskdjalkdsjs]

[N-No...]

[Don't be cute at him.]

[It's not his ultimate weakness or anything.]

2/3

[fierybluebird]

Just who is your oniichan?

3/3

[fierybluebird]

Someone in Namur's division?

And... ah kid... he might not make it here. Time and space is really finicky, eh?

1/2

[akito]

It's-

No, he'll definitely make it here! Because he was right there, and Ace is always there if I need him, and I definitely need him now! Even if I can take care of myself...

2/2

[akito]

Even so... Being alone is worse than not being able to take care of yourself, I think.

[fierybluebird]

[Oh.]

[It's Ace.]

[Well... that explains everything.]

[Marco just closes his eyes and deeply searches mentally for the strings everyone seems bound by.]

[And gently ruffles Akito's hair.] Of course he will, eh? But he tends to be a little late even to his own parties, and gets lost on the way. So we'll just have to keep an eye on you for him for now.

I'm Marco, as you seem to have guessed by now. [Offers a handshake.] Where did you meet Ace? Since I'm assuming it wasn't our world, but correct me if I'm wrong.

[akito]

[ since this man is still someone he's not used to, akito flinches ever so slightly at the touch - not as much as he would have before practically living with ace for so long though, which is something to be proud of.

still, he would take ace a thousand times over marco. ]

I don't need looking after. I just want Oniichan. He's supposed to train me in Haki and how to beat people up with a quarterstaff, and I'm supposed to make sure he stops being stupid about Zoro!

[ ... but that all aside, he exhales a silent sigh of defeat. because he's just in denial now, really. about ace following him here. and this being a weird reality storm. there are too many variances for it to be something nautilus did... ]

...'m Wanijima Akito. Baby brother and first mate to Portgas D. Ace. [ he accepts the handshake awkwardly - awkward if only due to the fact he isn't accustomed to shaking hands. ] We met in a multiverse, in a city called Nautilus. Supposedly that's the 'real' world and our homes are all just shared dreams.