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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[Mike raises one brow ridge at her.
What is this girl getting on about?]

Did I just...what?

Your head… [Quickly she shakes her head.] Never mind.

Are there any other spirits I should know about? [She has a thousand questions about the Spirit World, but she doesn’t really want to bother him. Ikki wasn’t exactly an ideal role model to follow in this situation.]

[He mouths the words my head, brow still furrowed...until it isn't. Damn. April warned me about doing that.]

Sorry, it's...it's force of habit.

[There's a vague hand gesture that indicates his whole head/shoulder region.]

Well...there are a handful more turtles like me, but, that's pretty much all I know about.

[She adjust her sling bag so it’s back over her shoulder.]

It’s okay, I’ve just never seen a- ah well, a man sized turtle spirit do that before. [As if anyone ever has.]

Oh wow. I wonder if you all got trapped here because some kind of affinity for Tu Vishan. [Thoughtfully she rubs her chin with her fingers.]

Normally the Avatar goes to the spirits for guidance, but instead we’re trading food. Um, any wisdom you have stored away Mike?

It's okay, a lot of people haven't. We're kind of few in number and really sneaky that way.

[He's all happy he kind of knows what's going on, and then she drops that last question on him.]

Uh...wisdom? From me?
Uh...well...Don't eat yellow snow?

Or uh...how about: Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza?

Edited 2013-05-13 20:51 (UTC)

I’ll try and work more on my spiritual duties to see if I can help you all get back to the Spirit world. [Nothing reminded her that she should continue to train without her master than this new situation.]

…

[While she can’t argue that is very good advice having lived in the south pole, Korra’s expression is that of someone who was given a consolation prize. A bad one at that.]

You’re kidding.

Pizza?

[Mike's smile can only be described as sheepish.]

I'm really not all that great at spiritual stuff either. Between you and me? I get kind of bored really quickly.

But you are spiritual stuff!

[No Avatar should have a temper as bad as hers.]

How can you get bored of that??

[Yelling breeds defensiveness.]

Hey! I'm an American, that reserves me the right to get bored of anything I want to!

You're a what-can? [That's actually throwing her off enough to deter her from the ramp she was taking to frustrated land.]

American. It's the name of the country I'm from.

[Woo hoo! Deflect achieved!]

[She sits down on a nearby crate.] There's countries in your spirit world?

[Oh gawd Korra. STOP.]

Yup, and cities.

[Oh cripes, seriously Mike. SERIOUSLY?!]

[How to Dig Yourself a Hole by Mike D. Turtle.]

Wow, I never would have thought it was like that. I’ve always thought it would be weird, like some kind of dream after eating too many flaming fire cakes. [Not that it’s ever happened to her or anything.]

So when you first tried to meditate and pass on to the Spirit World did anything happen, like a barrier or something?

[You know what doesn't help Mike? The fact that he's had training sessions involving the Astral Plane...and done poorly at them.

Because sitting still is not something he excels at. And meditation? Is really just a fancy way of saying: sit still.]

Noooot really. I mean...I got smacked upside the head by a walking stick, but mostly because I was trying to make my brothers laugh by pretending to snore.

[Wow, at least Korra managed to meditate eventually.]

While meditating? Wow, and my master thought I was bad… [She’s looking at him like he’s a complex math problem wrapped in an enigmatic riddle and a ribbon.]

[And a shell. Don't forget the shell.
Mike merely smiles awkwardly as she looks at him.]

Sitting still is boring.

You know Mike, I can’t argue with that. I couldn’t sit still until that was pretty much all I had to do. Actually helped me out. So are you a spirit of speed or something? Because racing you was one of the hardest things I’ve done, and trust me, my life’s been nothing but training.

[She furrows her brow while looking at him, shell and all.]

That’d be pretty ironic.

Because turtles are slow?

[He's giving you A Look, Korra. A very Significant Look.]

[She counters it with a “Whaaat?” look.]

Every one I’ve ever seen is. [She points at him to preemptively dismiss what she thought he would say.] Tu Vishan doesn’t count.

So how did you sneak up on me like that anyway? [If there was one thing she’s not too big a fan of, it’s being snuck up on.] Spirit speed or not, you were pretty quiet.

"Maybe," he hazards. "The reason you've never seen a fast turtle is because they were too fast to be seen."

Did you ever think of that Korra? Huh?
Please to be ignoring the smug look of smuggery that he's currently sporting.

"Years and years of practice, that's how. Observe."

He gives the alleyway a once over before springing to action. His arm is still healing, so there's only so much pressure he can put on it. This is why he has that arm across his chest when when he leaps onto the left wall, uses his momentum to spring off to the right wall, before landing in a crouch next to where Korra was sitting.

There is nothing in her repertoire of personal experience to prepare her for the extreme, and incredibly outlandish, possibility that was just thrown at her. She opens her mouth before closing it again and simply inclines her head with an I can’t believe you just said that. look before she says:

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

Never would she have ever thought of it. Was Meelo going to be like this when he got older? Yes. Most likely. Oh god. “Practice?” she asks before doing as he asked and observed, with rapidly growing interest at his sudden acrobatic prowess. “You learned that?” She wanted to ask why he had his arm like that, but she thought it would be best to wait.

…

Having waited long enough she abruptly asked “What’s up with your arm? I know you’re not holding your shell up. …Are you?” Maybe turtle spirits needed to hold up their shells? What an odd thought. But then again, today had been nothing but odd thoughts.

"My arm?" his head tilts in momentary confusion. "OH! This, right right. It's uh...I got tagged in a fight. And then I tried to use it before it healed properly and popped my stitches."

Oh how this is punctuated by annoyed sighs. Injuries are stupid.

"So to answer your other question, no. I'm not holding my shell up. You do know that this," he pauses to knock on his chest-plate. "Is like, my spine and ribcage, right?"

“Nope, didn’t have a clue. In fact you’re the first actual turtle I’ve seen. I mean turtle ducks are one thing, but a turtle-turtle? Wow.” Leaning over to give an almost intrusive inspection of his arm, Korra studies it and the broken stitches with scrutiny before she says “Yup, someone tagged you good. Give me a sec, and I’ll have patched up in no time.”

Without even standing up she moves her arms through the air gracefully and calmly. A harpist would be scornfully jealous. As she does so water from a canal out past the alley speedily makes its way to her and with a peaceful turn of both her wrists the water melds into a glowing ball.

“Now this might feel good, so don’t fall asleep.” She warned with a smile as she lightly pushed her arms forward causing the water to completely envelop the wound, washing away the pain and accelerating the body’s healing process. “So who nicked you? She asked conversationally as she waterbended, simply because where she’s from it’s no big deal. Ever. And nicked so weak a description for the cut.

Edited (Crap, is it cool she did that? Forgot to ask.) 2013-05-15 19:06 (UTC)

Before he can ask what a turtle duck is, before he can even make mention of how much her arm movements resemble the fluid motions of Tai Chi, there's a GIANT FLOATING BUBBLE OF WATER FLYING THROUGH THE AIR.

Mike's jaw drops, his eyes widen to comic proportions, and he just stares.
He continues to stare as she moves the water to his arm.

In fact the staring only stops as the healing begins, and that's only because the sensation causes his eyes to cross.

"...great googly moogly."

She might want to ask that question again in a moment or two.

Edited (Totally fine! Awesome even!) 2013-05-15 19:21 (UTC)

002 Audio - The One Where Mike Tries To Barter

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action; We are GO for Prose, Blue Leader.

Re: action; Copy that Red Leader. Prose engaged.

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action; Korra's learning something from Raph's network post btw XD

action; Yeeeaaaah, been following that.