Test Drive Meme

[cyclicalitymods]

	♥ 1. Where did you come from? You may not know anyone else on the boat, but you've all got one thing in common; you're headed to Republic City. ♥ 2. It's your first day in Republic City. You might wanna get a job lined up or you'll be living on the streets. ♥ 3. You're the new person in the city. You gotta make some friends, right? Go find someone and strike up a conversation.
	♦ 4. Feeling a little crafty? Maybe you could make a quick yuan. Sell information for money or do a little threatening. ♦ 5. Vines. Vines everywhere! They're like the heads of a hydra. What are you going to do about the vines that just invaded your apartment? ♦ 6. Triads, Equalists... thugs in general. Welcome to the aftermath of losing a fight. Are you gonna go find a healer or are you gonna tough it out?
	♣ 7. You've got a job. What is it? How are you going to get customers? You better get some soon. More customers equals more money. ♣ 8. You're a bender, right? Then you better practice it. What's that? Oh, a non-bender? You can still find a partner to spar with, right? ♣ 9. It's late. Have a drink at the pub! Get to know one another. Let it all flow freely!
	♠ 10. Yeah! You've got a driver's license! Everyone else better watch out... ♠ 11. Entertainment's just rolled on into the city! Watch the ostrich-horses race or the acrobats perform. Or maybe you're one of them! ♠ 12. It's a long line at whatever vendor you're at. Make small talk with nearby civilians or try and haggle the vendor down to a better price.
	• Make up your own scenario!

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Comments

[teaspirited]

I would be most grateful for competition, knowing someone else in the world feels so passionately for tea to brew it to perfection.

[He finally takes a small sip of wine. Not quite to his liking, but not terrible either. Tea is definitely preferred.]

May I know my host's name after he is done pondering his next move?

[abitofawildman]

[Bumi's brow is furrowed, his face a mask of pure concentration.]

Maybe.

[He says it almost absently.]

But depending on how horribly this next move sets me up, I may give a false name. It might be the only way to hide my shame.

[Here he looks up and offers Iroh a smirk, before looking down again. He picks up a tile, slowly raises it over the board. One might think, by the way he's carrying on, that the tile could up and explode at the slightest mis-jostle. Eventually though, he finds it a home.

A good home. Not the best home by any stretch of the imagination, but...it's decent. Okay, it's not great.

Bumi exhales, bomb defused. He looks up and offers his forearm for clasping in the traditional Water Tribe style.]

Bumi. Commander Bumi.

[teaspirited]

[The idea of a false name to hide shame over a game of Pai Sho made him laugh. But before even contemplating where to move next, Iroh reaches out to match the greeting, grinning broadly.]

Bumi, you say? That's not a name you hear often, but it's a very good one. I have a good friend that shares your name, and I would imagine it's no coincidence.

[He releases Bumi's arm to consider his next play. Strange tactics after such a bold move before. He finally slides a tile out to continue his defensive line but so a piece from behind can quickly jump in to attack if necessary.

[abitofawildman]

So did my parents, and considering everything.

[He here holds up his hands as if to indicate everything about himself.]

They thought it was a good fit. I've seen pictures of the guy. Not entirely sure how I got his hair, but...here we are.

[Actually, Bumi's fairly certain that the reason his father really remained bald was not to display his tattoo, but because Aang had cowlicks even worse than Bumi's.]

[teaspirited]

I would say they chose well for you.

[Given some of those Air Nomad beards seen in flashbacks, Bumi may be on to something.

He almost considers not posing a question some may find personal, but something tells him he'll find out at some point anyway. And while he's in this new time, it wouldn't hurt to learn what he could.]

But now that I think about it, there is something familiar about your face. Not in its whole, just features of it. Please forgive my curiosity, but who are your parents, Bumi?

[abitofawildman]

[His eyes are mostly downcast, as if considering the board. That is, of course, until after he answers the question. Hell look up then to catch Iroh's reaction.]

Curiosity is seldom a thing that requires forgiveness. I'm the oldest son of Avatar Aang and Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.

[teaspirited]

[The surprise crossing his face is faint. He remembers the young love blossoming in front of his shop, not too long ago from his perspective. He chuckles merrily and leans back in his seat.]

I am pleased to hear their love has held strong. But if you're the oldest son, am I right in assuming you have a brother?

[abitofawildman]

[He nods, and smiles a lopsided smile. Rather than playing his next piece, he rolls it along his fingers.]

Tenzin, the resident airbender of the family, and my younger sister Kya is the waterbending master.

[teaspirited]

It's good to hear the Air Nomads won't die out with Aang. The world would likely have tipped out of balance without them.

[abitofawildman]

It's even better that Tenzin and his wife seem more than happy to repopulate the world themselves. They've got four little ones, and I've no doubt in my mind Pema will talk Tenzin into a fifth if he's not careful.

[Speaking of "careful," Bumi finally decides where this tile is going to go, and it's going to a defensive position to his front line assault.]

[teaspirited]

So there are six airbenders now? [Yes he's counting the Avatar, even if they're not Aang.

He spends a good minute staring at the board and stroking his beard. Another piece added to his defensive line in case of a flank attempt. Yes, that will do nicely.]

[abitofawildman]

Counting Korra, yeah.

[Bumi begins to eye his cup. There's still some wine left in that, and well...thinking of the Avatar makes him thirsty.]

[teaspirited]

[He set aside his own cup after a second sip, done with it for the moment.]

I've heard the girl's name mentioned a few times since I arrived. Korra's the new Avatar, isn't she?

[abitofawildman]

[Bumi nods once, drinks, and then wipes his mouth with the back of one hand. Even seventeen years later he still feels the hollow ache left from the loss of his father. Still, when he pulls his hand away there's that smirk again, as if it'd never left his face at all.]

Real spitfire of a girl that one. Of course no one's really surprised by that, she's from the Southern Tribe after all.

[teaspirited]

[Losing family often leaves an ache that dulls, but never completely fades. Some of the expression he recognizes, but it's quickly gone.

His description of Korra though... She sounded like Aang's opposite, but it made him smile anyway. She likely still had much to learn, but then again, that held true for many people at all sorts of ages. Bumi's remark did get him to laugh.]

If she's got any of your mother's or uncle's fighting spirit, I'm sure the world is still in good hands.

[...That was actually a bit weird to say, especially since he can only picture Katara and Sokka as they were just after the war, still so young with the rest of their lives ahead of them. It was how he last saw them, after all. And suddenly realizing they'd both be older than him in this time (given they were still alive) was a little staggering.]

[abitofawildman]

[It's okay Iroh. He understands.]

It's the only reason I retired. If I didn't trust Korra to be able to do what needs doing, I'd still be with the Forces.

[teaspirited]

Your trust in her is very commendable. I would like to meet her someday.

[...Okay, maybe he'll have one more little sip of wine.]

[abitofawildman]

[He snerks.]

The way things are around here you might not have to wait that long.

[teaspirited]

Oh? Because of the spirit vines in the city? Or is it the talk of airbenders I've heard about?

[Those are kinda hard to miss.]

[abitofawildman]

[He winces.]

Those...among other things, yes.

[teaspirited]

[He saw that wince and is starting to suspect something's going on. He frowns a little and readjusts his chair.] Is something wrong?

[abitofawildman]

Wrong? Oh no. Nothing. Nothing's wrong.

[Bumi, it seems, has inherited his father's deftness with lies.]

[teaspirited]

[You see this face Bumi? This is the face of a man who knows when he's being lied to. Poorly.]

[abitofawildman]

[You're really going to make him say this, aren't you?
Bumi is not the most tactful man on the very best of days, and even if he was it's hard to imagine a tactful way to say this.

He sighs.]

The reason I asked if you remembered me when we first met was because...and there's no real good way to say this, but...you've been dead forty years.

[teaspirited]

[Welp. That was bound to be one surprise that would have reared its head eventually in the future. With about seventy years having passed, he had felt certain he wouldn't run into himself. But hearing confirmation made it more final. However, the news doesn't make him angry or upset. Just thoughtful.]

I have wondered why I was brought here. Perhaps this is part of my answer. Even if my body and spirit were ready to depart from this world, the world may not have been so willing to let me go. Though this does explain your surprise when you saw me.

[A bit of a weak joke to help make light of the situation, but there was some logic behind it too. He wouldn't have been brought to this city forty years after he was supposed to be dead for no reason. The world needed him for something now, but the exact purpose would likely remain a mystery until it was presented to him.]