tushanshu | 002 Audio - The One Where Mike Tries To Barter

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002 Audio - The One Where Mike Tries To Barter

So...okay. Here's the thing. I can live frugal. I'm good at living frugal. There are fewer people out there who can dumpster dive as efficiently as I can. Trust me, my stone soup? Is amazing. I can make a Reclaimed Tuna Casserole Surprise that will knock your socks off.

As awesome as I am, even I can't make something from literally nothing, which is kind of what I've got at the moment. I say kind of because I have a whole bunch of little pots of home-made Floating Fruit preserves, jams, and jellies, and now that I'm officially out of money, I'm looking to trade them for...anything edible that isn't floating fruit. I've had my fill, thanks.

So, anyone out there interesting in jam for say...chocolate?
Or jam for bread?
Or jam for...seriously, anything.

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[Green has a way of blending into shadows in a way that black wishes it could.

Mike can be heard snickering from his shadow.]

I might be.

[Definitely sounded the same, wisecracks and all. She smiles, but can't help asking.]

So, are we doing this thing or is out in the open not a good place to trade for you? [Tentatively she takes a step to where his voice is coming from. Maybe he had a skin condition?]

I'm not...I'm not really used to being out in the open.

I mean, is...are there a lot of people around?

[She actually laughs at his shyness and makes an estimate of the kedan walking about in the Water Sector and Metal Sector.]

I wouldn't say a lot. [Since where she's from a lot means hundreds.] But if privacy is a problem, we can just use that alley over there. [There's a small string of shadows leading down the street into the back street.]

Just don't try any funny business.

[The silence seems to consider this.]

What kind of funny business are we talking about here? Funny ha ha? Or Funny Ack! That was my spleen?

Anything that isn't "Funny ha ha". You seem like a nice guy, I just don't want to find out that you're actually a creepy. psychopath, murderer.

[She squinches her mouth to the left side of her face.]

I don't get along with those types.

Good to know.

It's not that privacy is a problem, it's just...there'll be a whole lot less staring if it's only the two of us.

Race you to the back street?

[The question is punctuated with a slight muffled whump of movement.]

[That statement made her wonder, wonder long enough to-]

Hey! No fair cheating! [She called out trying to look angry even though she was smiling. With her foot forcefully sliding back into suddenly raised concrete, she used it to leap forward and break into a sprint. His head start, and her outcry, costed her valuable time. She tried thrusting her fists downwards at the last moments, firebending to propel herself into the air to make up the lost time.

She landed, her hand going to the sling bag to make sure none of the food fell out and she looked about to see whether or not she beat Mike there.]

Edited 2013-05-13 02:58 (UTC)

[The fact that she doesn't see Mike doesn't necessarily mean she beat him to the meeting spot.

In fact...]

Not bad, not bad at all. You move a lot faster than most humans I've had the privilege of meeting.

[Mike is crouched low in a corner of the backstreet. From here it almost seems as though he's nothing but a pair of white eyes, but surely that's a trick of the light.

Damn comic book conventions.]

[Korra's eyes widened when she heard his voice and located his eyes. Dang, he was a lot faster than just about anyone she's ever had the chance to race.]

Okay, I'm officially impressed. [One of her eyebrows raises as she takes the sling bag off her shoulder.]

Humans...?

[Mike takes a breath, rolls to his feet, and then walks into the light.

He's just barely shy of five feet tall, and while he has his bandanna mask on, it's draped around his neck. Slung across his shell is what appears to be a satchel-type bag.]

Uh...hi. So I can assure you the jam does not come pre-dosed with salmonella.

[Turtle humor, gotta love it.]

[Korra's mouth goes completely slack as she obscenely stares at Mike. After an awkward pause she finally says something.]

Are you a turtle spirit?

[Mike's sheepish smile freezes in place, and his eyes widen to a level that pretty much matches the look she's giving him.

Why?

Because she's pretty much just asked a guy from 1986 if he was a god.
And when someone asks you if you're a god, you say:]

...yes?

[Then he braces himself for the lightning that's sure to come out of her finger tips when she can tell that he's lying.]

Sooo that's why you didn't show yourself on my console.

[She clasps her right fist into the palm of her left hand and bows.]

A pleasure to meet you Mike. I'm Avatar Korra and you're the only spirit I've ever met aside from the previous Avatars.

[Happily she opens her sling bag in offering.]

I had no idea you were a spirit. No wonder you were so fast.

[It takes a good three count after she starts talking for him to realize he's not going to be fried alive. And another two count after that before he opens his eyes to peer at her.

Did she just...is she bowing?
The only people one who bows to Mike is Splinter, and that's only after bowing to him first.

This is...oh holy cats, she thinks he's serious.]

No no, you don't have to...with the bowing, it's not like...I'm a turtle.

...

No, I mean it is like I'm a turtle.

Crap, this is coming out all wrong.

Of course you're a turtle. That's what a turtle spirit should look like.

[She is way too happy to be meeting her first "spirit".]

On my world the Avatar is the bridge to and from the Spirit World, so no worries. I'm in the know. [Gesturing to her sling bag with a nod she smiles and says-] So did you get trapped here or are you linked to Tu Vishan somehow?

[He wants to press the point further, but...she so happy he's a spirit. If there's one thing Mike dislikes more than just about anything, it's making people unhappy.]

More the former than the latter.

[It's said with more of a sigh than anything. Resigned to his fate to forever lie to this girl because he's too much of a coward to correct her at this point.]

[Her smile falters a little on the left side of her face when she hears his plight.]

I could help with that- [A pause before her tone dies down a little.] when I'm actually able to delve into the spiritual side of bending. It's a little bit of a stumbling block.

But I'm getting better!

[She feels so bad for him being stuck and her inability to fulfill her duty as the Avatar.]

[At this point Mike's just struggling to keep up, so he keeps missing random words here and there.]

Spiritual side? What like Meditation?

Uh, yeah. Meditation is key for the Spiritual World. Even I know that. Unless things work a little different here on Tu Vishan.

[She blinked a few times.]

Why do you need food? [Maybe he was one of those quirky spirits…?]

Because its delicious?

I want to say you're the weirdest spirit I've ever met, but you're the only spirit I've ever met.

[She's squinting at him as if that would make everything about him clearer.]

So what's this about a jam surplus?

Well for what its worth? You're pretty weird for a human too, and I've only ever met a handful of those that weren't already out to kill me. So...take that as you will.

[At the mention of jam, Mike shifts his satchel and retrieves a pot of jam for her to inspect.]

I had more fruit than I knew what to do with, and really hate the idea of wasting food...soooooo, I made jam.

[She raises her eyebrow while giving him a flat look.]

Fair enough.

[Her sling bag containing the bread, coffee, vegetables, and butter which seems to be half frozen is open for him to inspect with one arm and she takes the pot with the other to give it a sniff.] Oh wow, this smells pretty good. What kind of fruit is it?

[Oh yes, she definitely had plans for the jam now that the weather seemed to be getting a bit warmer each day.]

Floating.

[He waits a beat for that to sink in.]

No seriously, that's what they're called: Floating Fruit. When I saw the kids eating them around here I figured they couldn't be poisonous so I picked as many as I could, which...was apparently a lot. Too many, really.

action; exactly! Here we're already comfy.

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action; competitive!Korra is a go

action; Bring it, lady!

action; Confounding ninja speed!

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action; Mikey, what have you done??

action; Funny enough...he's kind of asking himself the same question

Re: action; This poor guy-turtle.

action; he is ever so put upon

action; I so wasn't expecting this twist. XD

action; funny, neither was Mike. ;)

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