meme | 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!

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. Hey, I Just Met You, and This is Crazy...
   First impressions are always the most important, right?
4. 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!

This marks the official start of the monthly test drive meme and, to celebrate, we're giving a new feature a shot. The first comment/thread on this test drive is going to be titled ENABLE ME and it's where you post character accounts/muselists, etc and others (members, passerbys, shoulder demons) can enable you to apply to Tu Shanshu! Come, let us enable you to the turtletastic madness!

Comments

Sabriel; Old Kingdom series

[bindsthedead]

[Up for any of the four options.]

2? 2

[amonfire]

[ The Water sector was easy to get lost in if you found you way far enough into the frenetic, crowded shopping district; where you couldn't tell one tarp covered stall apart from the other, and the winding sea glass walkways becoming a disorienting maze. It was especially challenging for Amon who rarely ventured out, let alone this far from the familiar.

His attention was drawn away from the crowds to keep himself focused on whatever task drove him out here; he didn't even bother using his bloodbending to sense other around him. Quietly he waded through the crowds with an eerie unobtrusiveness that was almost ghost-like until he came upon something that caught his eye at one otherwise unimpressive vendor's table. A bell it looked like, and of an interesting make that reminded him of the bells strung up in shrines.

Only the moment he reached for it did he find a slender, pale hand go for it first; accidentally knocking into whomever had their eyes similarly fixed on it. In his deep, cold monotone he feigned an apology to belie his irritation. ]

My apologies.

2

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel's experience with cities was largely limited to Bain, which was actually more of a large town. A city as large as Keeliai was overwhelming, and the strangeness of everthing made it even more so. Everything was new and distracting, and Sabriel didn't realize someone else had their eye on the bell.]

I-

[Sabriel looked up in alarm at this masked stranger.]

I'm sorry, sir. I didn't notice you.

[A schoolgirl's answer in a schoolgirl's tone, from a tall young woman dressed more like a warrior, with sword and bell bandolier who made no move to hand over the bell. As curiousity easily defeated fear, Sabriel cleared her throat.]

Are you also- not from this place? [He didn't look like a Kedan, she thought, but it was hard to tell with the mask]

[amonfire]

No harm done.

[ Unfettered by her reaction, Amon regarded the girl with a critical eye behind slits of polished wood; in particular the gilded sword at her side and the bandelier of bells across her chest. Strange behaviour from young women that well-armed, and in attire that implied she expected a fight. ]

Is it that obvious? [ If he meant to be humorous his flat tone all but killed the attempt. ]

The bell-- you appear to have a propensity for them. [ He gestured to her bandolier. ]

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel tensed as he pointed at the bells- did he know what they meant? Her tone became more guarded as she spoke.]

I enjoy music, and I wanted to buy instruments- I like bells in particular. These, [And she gestured to her chest.] Belong to my father. [She refused to use the past tense. He was still alive, and she would free him from Death, as soon as she left this place and could head to Belisaere.]

I admire our restraint in not making a cowbell joke.

[amonfire]

[He felt how her blood made her muscles tense and her heart skip a beat as she stumbled, admirably very briefly, for an excuse. It wasn't an answer, but the implication that she had lied made this exchange much more interesting. ]

I'm quite partial to music myself, but I haven't heard of bells applied as someone's instrument of choice.

[ Plucking the bell from the table, Amon smiled; his grin twisted as cruelly as the mask that it hide beneath. ] I'd be happy to purchase this bell on your behalf in exchange for a demonstration.

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel felt a muscle twitch in her jaw, and her smile became noticeably frosty, and her tone cooled considerably.]

Then I am pleased to show you.

[Of course, the consequences of using necromantic bells for such a thing might be dire- but Sabriel was a Charter mage as well as a necromancer.

Her smile might have been slightly mischeivous as she sketched out three symbols in the air- a simple spell, to snatch the bell out of his hands and put it into hers.]

[virginprice]

[Alcuin is not normally clumsy, but unfortunately the apple he's selected out of the display sends all of the others tumbling down over Sabriel's shoes. He tries to catch them, but it's futile.]

Elua. I am so sorry, mademoiselle.

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel's still wearing the clothes she arrived in, sturdy boots and all. Sabriel looks up to see- a young man around her age.]

Ah- It's quite all right, but please, help me put them back.

[Sabriel looked down, and quickly starts gathering up the apples and putting them back, apologizing courteously to the shopkeeper.]

[virginprice]

Of course.

[Still looking acutely embarrassed, Alcuin crouches to gather up the apples as well, replacing them with care- and making sure that they won't just tumble right back down.

When it's done, he'll pay for half a dozen- and offer one to Sabriel.] For your kind help.

[bindsthedead]

[The beginning of a blush begins to appear on Sabriel's face as she accepts the apple, smiling nervously.]

Thank you, sir. My name is Sabriel- I'm a new arrival here. [Sabriel tugs at the hem of her dark blue surcoat, though she doesn't look down.]

[virginprice]

[Alcuin gallantly ignores the blush and her awkwardness.]

My name is Alcuin, and I've been here a little over a month. Welcome to Tu Vishan.

[bindsthedead]

Thank you.

[Sabriel's awkwardness is compounded by her attire- armor, sword, and a bandolier of of seven bells, though she's used to wearing them.]

One month- Tell me, what is this place like? [Are there Dead here, she almost asks.]

[virginprice]

[It's only the bells that seem terribly out of place to Alcuin- he's wearing a tunic and breeches that wouldn't look odd in the Old Kingdom, honestly.]

It's... very different from home, and I suspect from your home, too. The devices they use are quite strange. The people who have been brought here are kind and welcoming, though the kedan can be less so. The architecture and artwork is lovely.

[He missed the zombies, fortunately.]

[bindsthedead]

It doesn't seem much like the Old Kingdom- or Ancelstierre, but it is beautiful.

The kedan are not- unfriendly [or hostile] I hope?

[virginprice]

It is. Different, but lovely. [He has found something to admire in every sector, and enjoys exploring them.]

The Emperor does not seem like the kindest of women, but perhaps she is only constrained by her position. No, they are not unfriendly- simply... as strange as all else here.

4!

[dominare]

[ leaps of faith were no small feat: skill and concentration were obvious requirements, but they were also part luck. Luck partially in hopes there was nothing hidden sharp in the haystack, but also luck in hopes that no bystander witnessed the landing.

luck it seems, wasn't entirely on Haytham's side today. Out of all the ubiquitous haystacks laying around the city, Haytham had chosen one in a particularly populated location. One that happens to be in the path of wherever Sabriel is headed. He thinks with slight irritation that he'll have to come with an excuse of some sorts to mitigate suspicion, as much as he'd love to sit and stew in the hay. With a rather loud sigh, he pulls himself out, shakes off the loose hay, before and turning to address Sabriel with what he hopes is a convincing 'surprised' tone ]

Well—! That was quite the wrong turn to take.

Re: 4!

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel stepped back, one hand already reaching for the sword at her hip before Haytham spoke. Instantly, her hand dropped to her side.]

Are you all right? [Privately, Sabriel thought the man was very fortunate there was a haystack there. She smiled, though the exhaustion of arriving in a new, very large, and very strange city was apparent on her face.]