#kali watches iron fist

[oodlyenough]

lmfao this show for real pulled a “i don’t care for ward”

[celestialvoid-fanfiction]

The Broken Spirit

Five years ago, Stiles Stilinski went missing. Derek’s pack find him in the basement of an abandoned bank, but he’s not the same kid he was when he disappeared.

 For @originfire 

[AO3]

 He lay on the cold stone floor, curled up in a ball.

He drew in shaky breaths, his body trembling as the icy chill of the darkness seeped into his veins.

His lips quivered as another wave of tears welled in his eyes.

The stone walls rose around him. There were no windows, no light. The only way in and out of the room was the heavy vault door that locked from the outside.

His stomach had stopped growling, replaced by an unending ache.

The heavy iron shackle that was clamped onto his legs tore at his pale skin, leaving angry red welts, weeping blisters and streams of blood across his skin.

He didn’t know how long he had been there—days, weeks, months—but he had long given up any hope of being rescued; he’d given up any chance of ever getting out of there.

His eyes grew heavy, his body weakening.

He blinked his eyes open, watching as the shadows began to warp and morph around an emerging figure.

A creature pulled itself forward out of the darkness. Their body was gaunt, the ridges of their ribs standing out against their grey flesh. Their legs were nothing more than bone draped in ashy grey skin. Their head was shrouded by a deer skull, the ivory bone cracked and aged. Streams of black ran through the cracks in the bone like veins of ink. Black antlers rose from the creature’s head. Beneath the jaw of the skull, the monster’s mouth hung open, exposing sharp teeth and rotting flesh. Its heavy breaths rolled through the enclosed space like a howling wind.

Stiles held his breath, hoping the creature wouldn’t see him. Tears rolled down his cheeks, clearing away trails through the dust and grime that covered his face.

The creature stalked forward, talon like nails scratching at the marble floors. The creature towered over him, hunched over and resting its weight on its front legs. It leant forward, bringing its face closer to Stiles’.

Beneath the hollowed eye sockets of the skull, Stiles could make out the marbled white eyes of the wendigo.

Stiles held his hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking as he cried.

Give in, child.

The creature’s words rang in his head, its deep and gravelly voice leaving chills clawing at Stiles’ spine.

Stiles’ drew in a sharp breath as tears streamed down his face, blurring the image of the creature. Teardrops fell against the dusty stone floor, shattering like glass.

Give in and it will all be over.

No more pain…

No more suffering...

Just let go.

Stiles let out a broken sob. He shut his eyes, feeling his body weaken as he surrendered.

The creature charged at him, tearing through his body.

There was a deafening rush of air. Ice flooded his veins, knocking the air from his lungs and leaving him breathless.

He collapsed on the ground, shaking violently.

He fell still, his eyes falling shut as he fell into the abyss.

The next thing he remembered was the sound of the vault door screeching as the metal bars slid back, the heavy door groaning as it opened.

Footsteps echoed across the stone floor.

Stiles opened his eyes, his dark irises fading to a marbled white as he looked up at the man.

The alpha’s eyes lit up red and the corners of Deucalion’s mouth turned upwards in a wicked smile.

“Good.”

----------------------------------- 

 Derek stepped into the abandoned mall.

Bright halogen lights – the kind used in construction – stood on tall stands in a circle around him. The glaring lights were pointed at him, making Derek strain to see what lay beyond them in the shadows.

The smallest sounds seemed to reverberate off the walls around him, quiet voices echoing in the darkness. 

Derek squinted against the light, trying to make out the shapes among the shadows. He could see a large walkway overhead, an old railing running along the edge of it—some of the glass panels smashed in and other stained with dirt and grime or covered in graffiti.

The air was stale and dusty, plumes of dust stirred—the particles dancing about in the bright light of the halogens and the silvery moonlight that bled through the dusty skylight overhead.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Scott muttered under his breath as he looked around.

“So do I,” Derek admitted.

Boyd, Erica and Isaac stepped up behind them, turning as their eyes scanned the shadows.

“Hello, Derek,” the man’s smooth voice rang out through the darkness.

Derek turned to see Deucalion standing at the top of the broken escalators, a pair of blacked-out glasses over his unseeing grey eyes and a cane in his hands.

“I’m so glad you came,” Deucalion said, a hint of mockery and insincerity in his voice.

“Why did you ask me here?”

“I come with an offer,” Deucalion told him. “Join my pack or I’ll kill you and your pack.”

“That’s not an offer, that’s an ultimatum,” Derek corrected.

Deucalion’s expression soured.

“Make your choice, Derek,” he said—or rather, warned—his voice deep and threatening.

Beside him, a young woman stepped out of the shadows beside the still escalator. Her lips curled back in a snarl, exposing her sharpened teeth. She flexed her hands, balling her hands into fists before unfurling them again to expose her jagged claws. Her long straight hair hung loose around her shoulders. She wore a loose shirt and a pair of leggings, standing barefoot among the rubble and glass that covered the floor.

Kali.

Behind them, a man made his way up the stairs of the broken escalator that led to the floor below. He was tall and strongly built, with a square jaw and cold clear eyes. His hair had been shaved off. As he stepped into the edge of the light, his eyes lit up red.

Ennis.

From the balcony overhead, two teenagers leapt down, landing on their feet.

Scott turned, watching as their bodied melded together, morphing into a singular towering figure. The alpha had a seam running down the middle of their body like a scar. Their eyes lit up with a crimson glow as they roared.

“I guess we’ll have to make the decision easier for you,” Deucalion said.

He glanced in Kali’s direction and nodded subtly.

Her howl rolled through the darkness as she sprinted at Derek.

Derek braced himself, catching her arms before she could land a blow and tipping her off balance. He tossed her aside, digging his feet into the dusty floor as he faced off against her.

She charged at him again, slashing at him with her jagged claws. She swung her leg, slamming her foot into Derek’s gut and knocking him back.

Scott and Isaac glanced at each other before charging the Alpha twins.

They grabbed Isaac by the front of his shirt and threw him to the floor, quickly deflecting Scott’s attack. He threw Scott back against the nearby wall.

Scott’s back collided with the concrete with enough force to send cracks across the wall like fissures on ice. He collapsed to the floor with a painful thud, letting out a weak groan as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees.

He didn’t get time to recover.

The Alpha was on him in seconds, slamming their foot into Scott’s stomach and dropping him to the floor again.

Boyd and Erica turned their attention to Ennis.

Erica lunged at him, slashing at him with her claws.

Ennis grabbed her arm, holding it up as he dug his claws into her ribs and tore open her side. He knocked her feet out from under her, twisting her arm behind her back.

Boyd threw himself into Ennis with enough force to make the alpha let go of Erica’s arm.

Ennis recovered quickly, blocking Boyd’s attacks and knocking the teen to the ground.

Ennis grabbed Erica by the front of her shirt, hurling her across the floor. He hauled Boyd to his feet, wrapping his arm around Boyd’s throat in a headlock as he held him still.

Kali stepped over to their side. She swung her leg out in a roundhouse kick, landing a blow to the side of Boyd’s face. Her claws tore through his cheek.

Ennis let go, letting the teen’s body fall to the ground.

Kali stepped over to Erica and pinned her down, digging her talon-like toes into the girl’s throat.

The Alpha twins dragged Scott and Isaac across the floor, making them kneel as they held their claws to the napes of their necks.

Derek froze, looking around at his pack.

Erica struggled beneath Kali’s foot.

Boyd pushed himself onto his elbows, blood dripping from his mouth and streaming from the gashes across his cheek.

“Kill him,” Deucalion ordered, his level voice ringing out through the darkness. “And the others can go.”

Derek looked from Deucalion to Boyd.

Boyd looked back at him, his yellow eyes wide with fear.

“You’re beaten,” Deucalion said, a hint of pride in his voice. He sauntered down the still escalator. “Do it. Take the first step.”

“Are we serious with this kid?” Kali asked. “Look at him. He’s an alpha—to what, a couple of useless teenagers?”

“Some have more potential than others,” Deucalion mused.

“Let him rise to the occasion then,” Kali sneered. “What will it be, Derek?”

Derek looked to Boyd, his eyes wide and full of pain. He was torn.

A sharp whistle broke the silence.

Derek dropped to the ground as an incendiary arrow struck the Alpha twins, bursting into flames and tearing the two apart.

Scott, Isaac and Boyd dropped their heads, shielding their eyes from the bright sparks. Erica squeezed her eyes shut as another arrow struck the ground beside her, igniting into bright white flames and a spray of sparks.

Kali screamed as she staggered back, shielding her face.

“Cover your eyes!” Deucalion bellowed, but he was too late.

Another arrow struck Ennis, knocking him back.

Erica leapt to her feet, swinging her leg and roundhouse kicking Kali. The heel of her boot stuck the alpha’s jaw with a sickening crack, knocking her to the ground.

A figure stepped closer to the railing of the higher level, the light illuminating Allison’s face as she raised her bow and fired another arrow; a normal arrow that pierced Ennis’s chest.

The alpha fell back against the ground with a blood curdling howl.

Isaac sprinted to Boyd’s side, helping him to his feet.

“It’s over, Deucalion,” Derek said, turning to face the man.

“No quite,” Deucalion replied, his voice low. The corner of his lips curled up in a smug smirk.

Derek’s brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to ask something when the sound of claws dragging across the tiles reached his ears.

He turned, looking at the shadows.

He watched as a figure emerged; tall but gaunt, towering over them. The creature was hunched forward, resting their weight against their front arms. Their face was shrouded by an aged deer skull and black antlers rose from the creature’s head. Beneath the jaw of the skull, the monster’s mouth hung open, exposing sharp teeth and rotting flesh.

The creature stalked forward, talon like nails scratching at the marble floors.

Derek’s eyes widened, his heart hammering against his ribs.

He turned to Isaac, who held Boyd up. “Get him out of here!”

Isaac nodded, half-carrying, half-dragging, Boyd out of the mall.

He looked around.

The Alpha pack were gone.

He dug his feet into the ground.

Scott backed up to Derek’s side.

“What the hell is that?” Scott asked, his voice breaking as he stared at the creature.

“A wendigo,” Derek answered.

“What do we do?” Erica asked, joining them.

“Nothing,” Derek said.

“What?”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Derek explained. “Wendigos are stronger and faster than we are. If we run, it’ll hunt us down.”

“Derek?” Allison called from the higher level.

“Allison, you and Erica get out of here,” Derek instructed. “Slowly. Scott and I will keep its focus.”

“Derek…” Erica started.

Derek turned to look at her, his pale aventurine eyes softening as he said, “Go.”

She backed away slowly.

Derek took a step closer to the wendigo, catching its attention.

Scott did the same. “Why hasn’t it attacked us?”

“I don’t know,” Derek replied.

The creature stalked forward, tilting its head as it looked at Derek. Its marbled white eyes stared at the man.

The wendigo reached forward to the exposed concrete before Derek’s feet. It dug its claws into the floor, drawing what looked like four arrows pointing inwards.

Derek looked down at the ground, his brow furrowed in confusion.

The wendigo opened its mouth.

“Help me,” the creature said, mimicking a familiar voice.

Derek froze, his blood turning to ice in his veins as tears pricked at his eyes.

“Cora.”

The name fell past his lips in a breathless whisper.

The wendigo looked down at the insignia on the floor and back up at Derek.

Derek met their gaze.

The creature opened its mouth, letting out a blood-curdling screech.

Derek and Scott dropped to the floor, covering their ears.

When the ringing in their ears died away, they opened their eyes.

The creature was gone, leaving only the symbol on the floor.

  -----------------------------------

 Derek didn’t sleep. He stood hunched over his desk, surrounded by piles of old hardcover books, leather bound journals and other books that looked like antiques, all bound in magnificent colours of scarlet, burgundy, deep green, gold, and grey. The spines of the books were decorated by gold or silver lettering that read the titles, adorned with small metal studs and a few were even fastened with small hinges that looked to be made of brass or silver.

He turned through the wrinkled brown pages that had been thumbed smooth with reading, searching through pages of runes for something that looked like the symbol the wendigo had drawn, but to no avail.

He grew more and more frustrated, feeling desperate and helpless.

He glanced up, looking to where Boyd sat on the couch. Erica carefully cleaned and redressed the gashes across his face and chest.

The back of her shirt hung low with strings of fabric criss-crossing across her back, low enough that you could see the blood-soaked bandages that covered her ribs.

Injuries inflicted by an alpha took longer to heal.

He had to put an end to this. He couldn’t put his pack in danger again; he couldn’t let the Alpha pack hurt them again.

He let out a frustrated sigh, slumping down in his desk chair.

“Anything?” Isaac asked, stepping over to Derek’s side.

Derek looked up.

Erica and Boyd were also looking at him, hoping for good news.

“Nothing,” Derek said, dropping his gaze.

“Maybe you should take a break,” Erica suggested.

“I can’t,” Derek replied. “Not until I have answers.”

“Maybe try Googling it?” Boyd suggested.

Derek’s brow furrowed. “What?”

Isaac tried to hide his smirk as he picked up Derek’s laptop. He opened it, taking a photo of the symbol and running it through a search engine.

A match showed up.

Beacon Hills First National Bank.

Derek sat upright, opening the web page for the old bank.

“That’s it,” Isaac said, trying to hide the hint of excitement and pride in his voice.

“The symbol is the logo of the old bank,” Derek announced.

“The old bank?” Scott said. “The one that supposedly closed because it was haunted?”

“Yes, that one. And I’m sure that the fact it was robbed had nothing to do with it closing down,” Derek replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Do you think the rumours of the bank being haunted had anything to do with the wendigo?” Boyd asked.

“It’s possible,” Derek answered. “Regardless, it’s a lead I’m going to follow up.”

“We’re coming with you,” Boyd said, wincing as he pushed himself upright.

“No,” Derek said firmly. “If the Deucalion and his pack are there, you’re in no condition to fight them.”

“Or they could be waiting for you to leave so that they can kill us while you’re gone,” Boyd argued.

Derek opened his mouth to argue, but his words died in his throat. Boyd was right.

“Alright,” Derek begrudgingly agreed. “But I want you all to hang back until I know for sure if it’s a trap or not.”

“Okay,” the pack agreed in unison.

  -----------------------------------

 The building stood tall among the abandoned buildings on the far side of town, the streets left eerily quiet. The marble pillars either side of the front door were carved with elegant shields and filigree. The glass doors were still intact; the gold printing of the bank’s logo and the bold lettering of ‘BEACON HILLS FIRST NATIONAL BANK’ still clung to the dust glass, chipping away slightly. The glass doors had been walled up with cardboard and old brown paper that had withered with time; torn and falling away from the door.

Derek stepped up to the door, glancing into the dark building.

Allison stepped over to his side, notching an arrow as she glanced through the torn brown paper of the other door.

“Looks clear,” she whispered.

He motioned for the rest of the pack to hang back before gently pushing open the door.

Allison slid into the building and Derek followed, letting the door shut silently behind him

The rest of the building was in ruin; the tables were overturned and sheets of paper were scattered across the floors. One of the large chandelier-like lights had fallen to the floor, the chain rusted and the light bulbs shattered, scattering glass across the floor. There was a layer of dust over everything, disturbed by a few footprints.

The mezzanines that ran along the sides of the large building seemed to be intact, leading up to two large vaults—the one on the left hung open but the one on the right was locked shut. A third vault was behind what used to be the teller’s desks.

The building was silent.

Derek motioned for the pack to join them.

He looked at Scott and Allison. “Check the second floor.”

They nodded, making their way over to the staircase to their left that led up to the mezzanine.

The pack searched the old storage rooms, the file cabinets coated in dust and the smell of mould and musk hanging heavy in the air.

Scott made his way to the vault on the far right side of the bank.  Loud screech rang out through the old building, echoing in the shadows, as Scott pulled the heavy vaults back. He hauled the door open.

A moment later, he let out a startled cry as he was thrown back against the railing.

A figure darted out of the vault, sprinting across the mezzanine and down the stairs.

Derek ran to her side, catching her before she could reach the door.

“Let me go!” she yelled, thrashing about.

“Cora, it’s okay,” Derek said, gently shushing her as he bundled her up in his arms. “We’re not going to hurt you. You’re safe.”

The girl stilled, slowly turning to look at him.

“Derek?” she whispered breathlessly, his name falling past her lips.

Derek reached out, gently brushing a strand of her dark hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He offered her a soft smile.

Cora let out a sigh of relief, wrapping her arms around her brother and holding on tight.

Derek let out a breathless sigh, resting his face atop her head as he hugged his sister back.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Derek whispered, fighting back his tears.

Cora pulled back slightly. “Where is he?”

“Who?” Derek asked, craning his neck slightly to look his sister in the eye.

“The other one,” Cora replied, her voice quiet as she looked around the dark building.

There was a loud screech as Boyd hauled open the heavy vault door downstairs.

“Oh my god,” the beta muttered under his voice, frozen in place. He turned his head slightly, keeping his eyes forward as he called over his shoulder. “Derek.”

Derek turned. He glanced at Erica who nodded, stepping over to Cora’s side.

He made his way through the rubble and over to Boyd’s side. His heart began to beat faster when he saw the look on his beta’s face.

He looked into the vault, his heart dropping into his gut. His breath caught in his throat, his heartbeat hammering in his ears as he stared in horror.

He leapt over the threshold and rushed over to the body that lay curled up on the cold stone floor.

He carefully rolled him over, watching as his chest rose and fell with shallow breaths.

He let out a sigh of relief, carefully manoeuvring the unconscious teen and lifting him.

“What is it?” Allison asked as she and Scott made their way downstairs and over to the vault door.

Derek stepped out of the vault, the frail unconscious body bundled up in his arms.

His face was turned in to Derek’s chest, but they knew who it is. They saw the moles that were scattered across his pale skin. His dark hair was a tousled, unkempt mess and his face was gaunt, but it was him.

“It’s Stiles,” Derek said.

  -----------------------------------

 Derek stood in the hallway, leaning back against the thin piece of wall between the doors to Cora’s room and Stiles’. Cora sat up in her bed, talking to a young police officer – Parrish – who was taking her statement. She shifted nervously, glancing at Derek for reassurance or screwing up her face at the discomfort of the IV in her arm.

Derek turned his head the other way.

Stiles still hadn’t woken up, his frail body laying still. The crisp white hospital sheets made his already fair skin look deathly pale. He too had an IV in his arm as well as a heart monitor that beeped wit the steady rhythm of his heart.

The Sheriff had rushed to the hospital, sitting by his son’s side for as long as he could before he was called away, his face torn and pained as he pulled himself away. Derek had promised to stay with him and to call the Sheriff if anything changed.

“Do you think one of them is the wendigo?” Scott asked, keeping his voice low enough that only Derek would hear him.

Derek nodded.

“How do you even become a wendigo?”

“A wendigo is believed to be an evil spirit. A human becomes a wendigo after their spirit is corrupted by greed or weakened by extreme conditions, such as hunger and cold. In some versions of the legends, humans become wendigos when possessed by a wandering spirit during a moment of weakness.”

“And you think that happened to Stiles?”

“Stiles is stubborn and resilient,” Derek said. “He’s a fighter. But there’s only so much a human can take.”

“But when the wendigo spoke, you said it sounded like Cora,” Scott argued.

“Yes, but wendigos don’t speak; they mimic,” Derek explained.

“You think it’s Stiles?” Scott asked, his voice still edged with disbelief.

Derek nodded.

The idea didn’t sit easy with Scott, but there was no point in arguing it.

Parrish came out of Cora’s room.

Derek pushed himself off the wall, straightening up.

“I have to head back to the station for a little while to write up this report,” Parrish said. “Please call me as soon as Stiles wakes up or if your sister remembers anything else that she’d like to add to her statement.”

Derek nodded.

“Can I sit with him?” Cora asked, standing a few steps back from the doorway.

Parrish offered her a friendly smile. “I don’t see why not.”

He turned to Derek, gently patting his arm before heading down the hallway to the elevator.

Cora shuffled towards the door, wheeling her IV stand forward.

“Come on,” Derek said, stepping back from the door and nodding towards Stiles’ room.

She shuffled into the room and sat down in the seat next to the bed.

“Erica and Boyd are still downstairs,” Scott told Derek. “Alpha wounds take longer to heal and my mum wanted to make sure they’re okay. Isaac’s gone with Allison to see if Chris knows anything more about wendigos or the Alpha pack.”

Derek nodded.

“I’m going to check in on Boyd and Erica.”

“Alright,” Derek said quietly, not taking his eyes off Stiles. “Keep me updated.”

Scott nodded, glancing at Stiles one last time before heading down the hallway to the elevators.

Derek stepped into the room, pulling the other chair over to the side of the bed and sitting with his sister.

Derek let his mind wander, time drifting away as he looked at Stiles’ pale face.

Stiles’ eyes flew open, wide and alert as he bolted upright in the bed.

“It’s okay,” Derek said softly, rising from his chair and gently holding Stiles by his shoulders as he tried to reassure him. “You’re safe.”

Stiles stared across the room, not looking at Derek as he said, “They’re here.”

Derek’s heart dropped, his body tensing. He stepped back from Stiles, looking towards the door.

“Stay here,” he said, glancing over his shoulder as he edged towards the hallway.

“I want to help,” Cora insisted. “I can fight.”

“You want to help? Stay here and protect him,” Derek ordered.

He stepped out into the hallway, the LED lights flickering overhead. The hallway was eerily quiet; the staff had disappeared into rooms to care for patients, leaving only Derek.

The elevator let out a quiet ding and the doors opened.

Deucalion stood proud in the elevator. A smug smirk turned up the corner of his lips as he stepped into the hallway.

“It’s good to see you again, Derek,” he greeted, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he made his way down the hallway.

Derek glared at him, his eyes flickering with a crimson glow as he faced off against the alpha. He balled his hands into fists by his side, flexing his fingers and exposing his jagged claws.

“It’s over, Deucalion.”

“Is that what you think?” Deucalion said, turning his head slightly and looking past Derek.

Derek turned.

Stiles stood behind him, his face void of any emotion. His dark eyes faded to a marbled white. His jaw twisted, revealing rows of jagged teeth as he half-shifted.

“You see, Derek,” Deucalion started slowly. “I’m his alpha. I control him.”

Stiles stalked forward, his gaze locked on Deucalion. His body began to morph, growing tall and gaunt. The shadows crept forward around his face, melding together in the shape of a deer skull before receding into the cracks and leaving the ivory bone over Stiles’ face. His body arched forward, resting his weight against their front arms, his talon like nails scratching at the linoleum floors.

Derek tensed, ready to fight.

The wendigo walked past him, dragging themself towards Deucalion. They paused for a moment, bracing themself before lunching forward, sprinting – full speed – down the hallway at the alpha. Their claws tore at the linoleum and the plastered walls, leaving gashes like open wounds as they moved too fast for either alpha to react.

The wendigo threw Deucalion back against the wall, towering over him. Their bloodied mouth hung wide open as they leant in close to Deucalion’s face and let out a deafening screech.

Derek and Cora covered their ears, dropping to the floor as they winced in pain.

The wendigo drew back, slowly morphing back into Stiles’ slender form. His eyes were still white, but his body was tense and his face was livid with rage.

“You are not my alpha,” Stiles said with finality, his voice low and firm. “You do not control me.”

Deucalion’s composure fractured slightly, glimpses of fear showing through.

“This is not your territory,” Stiles said. “Leave now, and don’t ever come back.”

Deucalion opened his mouth for a second to argue, but Stiles cut him off.

“I have your scent—and if you threaten my friends again, I will hunt you down and tear you limb from limb,” he warned. “Now, I suggest you leave, before I change my mind and kill you now.”

Stiles stepped back, holding his head defiantly as he watched Deucalion stumble backwards into the elevator, his hands shaking as he pressed the button.

He waited until the doors closed before letting the white fade from his eyes, his dark irises returning to their natural hue as he turned to look at Derek.

Derek looked back at him, equally stunned and relieved.

“Are you okay?” Derek asked somewhat hesitantly.

“I’m fine,” Stiles said nonchalantly. “A little tired, to be honest. But other than that, I’m fine.”

“You can control it?”

“Mostly,” Stiles replied. “It gets a little hard sometimes, but for the most part I’m in control.”

“What about the blood lust?” Derek asked.

“I’ve been friends with Scott since I was four years old, I learnt many years ago how to resist the urge to kill someone,” Stiles answered, making his way over to their side.

Derek let out a low chuckle.

“As for the craving flesh part, I’ll eat a raw steak every once in a while—probably on a night when my dad’s not home, otherwise I might freak him out,” Stiles mused. “And if the wendigo doesn’t like that, it’s more than welcome to leave.”

Derek couldn’t help but smile, looking at Stiles in wonder; if anyone could defy an alpha and tame a wendigo, of course it was Stiles.

[rwbyremnants]

WARNINGS: FREEZERBURN: alcohol, skinny dipping, outdoor sex.

So there's been a lot going on with me. Not all of it good, not all of it bad; I won't bog you down with all the details. But I am glad to be getting back to work here! More fanfics coming soon, I promise!

=Chapter 35

The first thing Blake did the next morning was draw a bath and follow through on her promise. Weiss jokingly offered to “help” and received a glare of blistering death for her trouble.

Delicious smells lured her downstairs while waiting for the bathroom to free up. Kali made an incredible breakfast for the four of them, and her mother looked delighted with the spread - and she had a suspicion they had been working on it together for at least an hour. It was sweet and domestic… even if strange that two women were so domestic together.

Not that they were together together. Just cohabitating.

That sounded even worse in her head.

“Morning, sweetie,” Willow greeted her with a little wave, sipping her coffee. “How did you sleep?”

“Not… as well as I hoped,” she admitted truthfully as she dropped into her chair. “New room and everything. But that will probably get better soon.”

Kali arrived to set down a platter of bacon - a full platter of it, overflowing and sizzling. “Blake didn’t keep you up too late, did she?” The eye that Willow couldn’t see winked at her playfully, and Weiss was glad she hadn’t started eating yet or she might have choked.

“No,” she told her stubbornly.

“Good. I noticed when I looked in on you that the two of you were snug as bugs in a rug.”

While Weiss was busy trying not to blush - and ignoring the smirk that lingered on the other woman’s face - her mother was cooing, “Aww, that’s just the most precious thing! I felt so sad when you agreed one of you would sleep downstairs… that’s no way for two young girls to get along.”

“Mmm,” Weiss hedged as she tried her own coffee. Not that she made a habit of drinking it.

“Well, they were all wrapped up in each other when I saw them,” Kali commented casually as she finally sat, the breakfast spread complete. “Makes a mother proud.”

“A mother like you, yes.”

Her eyes danced as she raised her own cup to her lips. “I don’t follow.”

“Suuuuure you don’t.” Then she turned to smile at her mother. “How did you sleep? Does Mrs. Belladonna hog the covers?”

“No, not at all,” she reported pleasantly. “She was… this was the first good night’s sleep I’ve had in years that wasn’t because I was too drunk to wake up. Sleeping beside Jacques made that impossible; sorry, Weiss.”

“Don’t apologise to me! I know how awful he’s been, and… and I’m glad we’re away.” She didn’t sound completely convincing. What she really wanted was for her father to be a good person, to treat his family with respect and affection instead of trying to rule them with an iron fist. But that wasn’t in the cards.

“I’m glad you are, too,” Kali put in, abandoning her teasing to reach over and pat Willow’s arm. “This might be temporary, but I would be alright with hosting you indefinitely. Anything to protect you from that.”

It wasn’t clear if “that” was Jacques or from the situation. Either one worked. Weiss decided to let them have their moment of comfort and camaraderie, and focused on tucking into her breakfast.

Nearly an hour passed before Blake joined them, and she was freshly-scrubbed and in a pleasant mood. Weiss caught her eye and smiled, and she rolled her eyes, trying to avoid confronting what they both knew had taken place in that tub.

“Sorry for taking so long,” she sighed. “We’re probably gonna be late for school.”

“Probably. But I think it’s alright after yesterday.” As Blake nodded sleepily, picking at the cold breakfast, Weiss added in a casual tone, “So apparently, you were snuggling me again this morning. You’re a clingy sleeper, I guess.”

Blake paused with the rasher of bacon halfway to her lips, eyes wide.

“It was like a Rockwell painting,” Kali teased with a smirk playing around her lips. That only made Blake’s cheeks flush even brighter. “I wish I had a photograph of you two, all cozy like that.”

“Mom…”

“Aww, me too,” Willow added, and Weiss giggled. They were all going a bit overboard teasing Blake, but it was fair play after Blake had been so heated about their parents spending “too much” time together. And besides, this teasing was all in good fun; everyone knew she was dating Yang and unavailable.

“Do you want me to have breakfast here or not?”

“Alright, alright,” Kali chuckled. “Sit down and eat before I have to tan your hide like I used to.”

“OKAY, MOM! ENOUGH!”

----------------------

Eventually, they made their way to school. It felt a little odd to be riding on Blake’s bike instead of Yang’s - especially after how close they got during the dead of night. Someday, she would have to get her own bike… but that day was going to be in the far future at the rate they were going.

Her family was penniless. Jacques Schnee no longer counted as her family as far as she was concerned; Whitley was debatable. But she and her mother were destitute, forced to depend on the kindness of a family friend to keep from winding up in the gutter. It was a bleak future. Still, at least they were alive and healthy, and had a network of strong women around them. Might as well keep her eyes on the horizon and try to make the best of a bad situation.

“Hey, uh… watch where those hands are going, Schnee.”

“They’re not going anywhere weird!” she protested, redoubling her grip around Blake’s stomach. “I have to hold on, don’t I?”

She sighed impatiently as they came to a stop at an intersection. “Yes, but you keep moving them around! And you almost grabbed my boob a couple of blocks back!”

“Oh, you’re exaggerating.”

“I am not!”

Things continued in that way all the way to the school - good-natured bickering over where the boundaries of propriety lay when they were both forced to be so close to each other. They dismounted and greeted the other Dragons with waves and smiles. Emerald was there, even though Cinder wasn’t quite recovered enough to be discharged - mostly according to Cinder, of course.

But Yang seemed to have something up her sleeve. A paper bag was clutched in one hand that was a lot larger than one for lunch, and must have been quite unwieldy to carry all the way there while driving a motorcycle.

“You bringing lunch for everybody?” Coco chuckled.

“Sit on it, Adel.” Her eyes swivelled to find Weiss, who took a step away from Blake on instinct. That was stupid; they hadn’t done anything wrong. Or at least, not while conscious.

“Hey,” Weiss said with a slight smile.

“Hiya. Wanna talk to you.”

Dread flared in the pit of her stomach. “Oh?” But when Yang opened the bag and pulled out a large bouquet of flowers, she felt the dread turn into butterflies. “Ohhhh… what’s this for?”

“For you. I, um, I wanted to ask… if you maybe… wanna go with me to the homecoming dance?”

The other Dragons sent up a chorus of wolf-whistles and cheers, punctuated with laughter, and Yang grimaced as if fighting down a blush. Weiss did feel a little embarrassed, as well, but mostly she was beyond pleased that she had been asked at all. Though one or two boys had asked before she went to the hospital, they were turned down flat - she didn’t want to lead them on, especially if they had zero chance of progressing past a polite dance.

Speaking of people with no chance…

“I’m happy for you two,” Blake said with a fairly convincing smile, clapping for them along with the rest. Weiss knew she wasn’t happy, but that she was at the same time; she would have to give her an extra hug later. “And for the extra steamy time you two are going to have in the locker room that night.”

“What?” Weiss asked in some surprise. “Steamy time? Why would we go to the locker room?!”

It was Coco who answered, smile casual and bemused. “Well, the gym is where the dance happens. And the locker room is right off the gym… and nobody will be thinking about two girls necking in there when they’re so busy watching for boy-girl couples. So…”

Weiss and Yang exchanged a bashful glance. It was the surprised princess who said, “Oh.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Emerald snorted, elbowing Coco. It seemed that now the dust had all settled, and she realised how hard Weiss had been trying to help everyone instead of actively setting things on fire, she was back to regarding her as something resembling a friend. “You two could just have a good time sock-hopping and then neck afterward. Don’t let Adel talk you into anything.”

“I’m not!” Coco protested, hands on her hips. “Just want everybody to have the best time possible. And we could all have it in the locker room.”

Blake squinted at her. “Will you stop trying to get that to happen? Nobody’s buying what you’re selling.”

“What?” Weiss asked in some confusion.

“Don’t worry about it,” Yang sighed in annoyance. But when Weiss still looked confused, she relented. “Oh, Coco wants to try a, uh… ‘petting party’ kind of thing. Been trying to talk us all into it ever since that night some of us tried Velvet on for size - which was a completely random situation! And we’re not all loose women like you are!”

Coco scowled. “Hey, I’m not ‘loose’; I am highly selective about who I pet and who gets to pet me. I just so happen to think all of you qualify, that’s all.”

The penny finally dropped, and Weiss held up a hand. “Wait, wait - are you talking about… about all of us having sex in the same room?!”

“I’m talking about all of us having sex with each other.” She glanced at Yang’s glower and rolled her eyes. “It was an idea, Xiao Long. Cool it. Pardon me for wanting to give my girl a big sendoff, okay?”

Velvet was already flushing scarlet. “Y-you do remember that I felt awful after the last time, don’t you? It w-wasn’t anyone’s fault, but…”

Her hands came to rest on Velvet’s shoulders, caressing up and down to soothe the timid little bunny. “Cinder’s fault, a little bit. But you’ve come a long way, baby. Like I said, I’m only interested if anyone else is; they aren’t, so I’ll drop it.”

“Thanks,” Yang sighed, reaching over to knock her shoulder gently. “Sorry, I’m just kinda… I dunno. Not really into that whole thing, and not into making Weiss try it on for size when she’s so green.”

Conflicting feelings rose up in Weiss at those words. She was very slightly irritated at Yang speaking on her behalf… but also found it satisfying. Yang was so protective, and always looking out for her interests. It was nice.

“Me, either,” Blake said, looking between Yang and Weiss. “Though it could be fun, it could also be really strange - and make all of us feel ooky afterward. Let’s just not and say we did.”

Then they heard the bell ring. “Back to the salt mines,” Coco sighed as they made their way toward the building. “Let’s go, spoilsports.”

But Weiss saw Blake looking morose as they moved off. She wanted to ask why, but decided it would keep until later.

----------------------

And later arrived.

“What do you mean by that?”

Shrugging in a would-be nonchalant way, Weiss leaned her elbows back against the china cabinet in the Belladonna dining room. “Nothing. I’m simply asking if it’s really alright if she-”

“What else am I supposed to do?” Blake shot at her tiredly. She looked as if she had just run a marathon, merely because of Weiss asking the question. “You two can’t walk on eggshells around me all the time. It’s better if I start getting used to you going around together. Like I have been trying to do. For weeks.”

“But we didn’t know you were swooning over Yang when we started! Now we do- or I mean, at least I do, and we don’t have to-”

“Hey, come on. Cut that out. I’m not a baby, I can handle myself.”

“I never said you were a baby!”

“No, but you implied that I-”

“Girls, girls,” Kali laughed as she edged through the kitchen door with a meatloaf sizzling in the pan, caught between her oven mitts. “What’s all this commotion?”

Sounding even more petulant than she looked, Blake turned away and muttered, “Nothing.”

“Sounds familiar,” Weiss muttered herself.

Blake’s mother rolled her eyes. “Well, it sure is a whole lot of noisy nothing. Come on, it’s time for dinner.”

So they ate. It was a nice meal, and both Blake and Weiss could let the matter drop for the time being, instead focusing on tales from school, and Kali’s work. Willow tried to participate as best she could, but her day had consisted of either sitting around or crying, so she mostly kept her silence while encouraging the others to go into detail about their stories.

“Your mom’s nice,” Blake admitted later when they were doing the dishes.

“What?” she gasped theatrically. “Can this be? Blake complimenting a Schnee?”

“A one-time event, you jerk. But… yeah, I’m…” Handing another dish over to be dried, she relented completely. “I’m even more sorry now about telling you to stop setting her up with my mom. Especially since…”

Weiss waited a few seconds before prompting her, “Since?”

“Since you might be right. They’re close, but I haven’t seen ‘sparks’. Just two good friends, and someone your mom needs to lean on. My mom needs more companionship her age, too.”

“To keep her from trying to get the baby Dragons into bed.”

“Yeah.” They both chuckled, and Blake smiled fondly at her. It was a real, honest-to-goodness fond smile, and it was directed at Weiss. She seemed to realise it a moment later because her eyes snapped down to the dishes and she scrubbed a little harder than was necessary. “You dodged a bullet there.”

“Oh? And how did I do that? You saying your mother isn’t good company?”

“No, I’m saying she’s too good company. And she doesn’t really do… monogamy. As in, ever since Dad died and Raven cut her out of her life…” Discomfort crept into her eyes. “Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this stuff about my mom. It’s probably not nice.”

“I won’t tell her, I promise.”

“Well, okay. It’s just that I’ve never seen her get serious about any woman. Raven, she might have, but we’ll never know now because of how everything hit the fan. Any other girl she’s played with has just been that: playing. Like a toy a little kid forgets about two days after it comes out of Santa’s stocking.”

Frowning down at the dish she was still drying long after it had been cleared of water, Weiss set it down. “That’s really… sad. I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for? You didn’t kill my father or make Yang’s mom a bitch.”

“Blake!” she gasped, but Blake only let out a cruel little titter. “Good golly, you can’t call her that - she’s an adult, and she’s-”

“A bitch,” she repeated firmly. “If anyone deserves that word, it’s Raven Branwen. And you know I’m right.”

“Maybe. Still not very nice - especially when we both know she's been trying harder lately.”

Amber eyes rolled toward the ceiling. “You're such a goody two shoes. But… I guess that's not such a terrible thing.”

Weiss tried not to let her smile look too overly pleased as they went back to washing.

----------------------

The weekend finally arrived. Even though everything with her father still loomed over her head like a black cloud, establishing a routine at the Belladonna household definitely helped both Weiss and her mother regain some sense of normalcy. The single bathroom tended to be a bit more clogged with four women always vying for its attentions, and Kali had to adjust her recipes to be a bit larger, but they were all such relatively easy fixes and everyone seemed more than ready to try.

That said, she still felt a bit grateful when Yang showed up out of the blue on her motorcycle, commanding her to hop on. Waving to the two mothers, she slipped on her jacket and headed out the door.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise!”

“Why so many surprises lately?!”

“That’s a surprise, too!” But the gales of laughter that floated out of the blonde afterward told her that she was just playing around. As usual.

Once they got out of the city, Weiss began to truly worry, but they didn’t go much further until they crested a hill and a beautiful meadow stretched out before them in the late morning sunlight. Yang quickly guided the cycle toward a little copse of trees along the side of a lake and around it, leaving them mostly shielded from the road. Only the lake lay out before them.

“Hey, what is this?” Weiss asked with a little smile as the driver took off her helmet. “Either we’re going fishing, or…?”

“Got the answer riiiight here.” Yang reached into the copse and pulled out… a picnic basket.

“Huh?!”

Still wearing that coy little smile of hers, she carried it a little ways from the trees and opened the top, pulling out a chequed blanket and spreading it over the ground. “Well, it feels like I don’t get to see you all that much lately. Lot of crazy stuff happening. Plus if we don’t do it now, it’ll be too cold to do stuff like this pretty soon. Wanted to have a picnic with you while we could.”

Heart melting, she quickly flitted over to Yang’s side and leaned up to peck her on the cheek. “Awwww!”

“Alright, alright,” she giggled. “Help me get everything set up. Grab a couple of rocks from the pond, willya?”

Weiss complied, and Yang used the rocks to anchor the corners of the blanket against any winds that might try to upset their little lunch. One at a time, she began to take out little Tupperware containers of various foods.

“How long have you been planning this?”

“Just since last night,” she told her, popping one of the containers open. It was full of ambrosia - Jell-O mixed with marshmallows and nuts. She closed it again and reached for a different one. “I dunno, I really wanted to do something. You were pleased as punch about me taking you to homecoming, which is great, but… it kinda reminded me that everything’s been so wild around here lately. We need to fix that.”

“We definitely do.” She snuggled into Yang’s side as she retrieved chicken salad, a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese. Then the last item emerged and Weiss gasped, “Yang!”

“What?” she laughed, reaching back in for a corkscrew. “I mean, we won’t be driving again for a few hours. Besides… I really want this to be a real date.”

Smiling even as she rolled her eyes, Weiss helped hold the bottle steady while Yang opened it. “We don’t need wine for it to be a real date. But… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. I’m just not as much of a fan lately.”

“Yeah…” She shrugged as the cork popped out and she tossed it and the screw back into the basket. “I know, your mom and all. But we’re not her, and it’s not the wine’s fault. That was just… y’know. How she dealt with things. But I can pour it out if you-”

“No, no,” she cut Yang off quickly, kissing her cheek to reassure her. “I want to share this with you. All of it.”

So they set about making themselves little sandwiches, hacking the bread and cheese up with the knife she packed. Yang kicked off her boots, and Weiss followed suit by shedding her saddle shoes. They laughed and ate and talked, mostly about school and Dragons business. A little about their parents and Blake, but those subjects were a tad touchier so they didn’t dwell nearly so much.

By the time they were into the ambrosia, passing the spoon back and forth, they had reached the topic of Ruby and Qrow. Though Yang wasn’t thrilled with it, she was a little too inebriated from the wine to put up much of a fight.

“You’re totally right,” she admitted begrudgingly after swallowing. “I should maybe try not to be so… so mad, I guess. And I’m already trying with Ruby! Isn’t that enough?”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t. Just that you could try… getting along with Qrow, see if he’s open to starting over. He’s family, right?”

“My uncle. Doesn’t make him a good person. Enough,” she cut Weiss off before she could protest as she set the bowl down, hands on her hips as she stared out over the lake. “Promise I’ll try harder, okay? But I don’t wanna think about that right now. I want… to swim.”

Weiss was still blinking in surprise when she saw Yang tossing her jacket aside, then reaching for the waistline of her jeans. “Swim? But… neither of has bathing suits.”

“Sure don’t,” she told her, casting a wicked little grin over her shoulder as she pushed them down to her ankles, taking the socks with them. Her bare, firm ass was on display.

“YANG!”

“Come on, nobody’s around for miles. That house on the other side of the lake? It’s abandoned. Everybody moved into Vale, or down the road the other way.” Her hands unbuttoned her blouse the rest of the way and dropped it to rest in a pile with the other clothing, leaving her wearing nothing but a bra and a foxlike expression. “Just us.”

Swallowing hard, she gazed up at the perfection that was Yang Xiao Long. That hourglass figure that was only strengthened by her formidable muscles, not diminished, and legs that seemed built both for kicking down doors and modelling pantyhose at the same time. “Wowee…” Then she pushed to her feet as well. “Want some help with that?”

“Yeah, I would.” Weiss made quick work of the clasp as Yang asked, “Does that mean you’re gonna join me?”

Heart leaping into her throat, she was quick to hiss, “What?! NO! Jeepers, I couldn’t- I mean, out here in the- I would be naked!”

“That’s the idea, Schnee,” she laughed as she turned, displaying everything God had given her to the nervous paper shaker. “Let’s get you out of that dress.”

“But…” Her cheeks were already flushed from the wine, and they only got worse. “W-well… did you even bring a towel?”

“Nah. We can dry in the sun; there ain’t a cloud in the sky.”

Chewing her lip, she looked around at the lakeshore again. She was right; the only house she could spot was very far away, and looked like it had half-crumbled. “Ohhh… I… alright, but…”

Yang stepped on the toes of Weiss’s socks, reaching up to hold her shoulders. “Go on.” She walked backward out of them, trying not to giggle at the slightly ticklish sensation of their toes fighting with each other. The minute she was barefoot, Yang reached down to the hem of her dress and whispered, “Are you ready? I’ll only do it if you say ‘yes’. Not gonna throw you in the water if you don’t want me to.”

“Fine, go on,” she sighed irritably, and Yang laughed as she helped her out of it. Hands roamed instead of assisting with her underwear, so she swatted Yang’s shoulder. “Cad.”

“Hey! I’m allowed to do a little heavy petting with my own girlfriend!”

“Is that in the rules somewhere?” They both chuckled a little as Yang finally did unclasp Weiss’s little bra. She always felt so self-conscious when their chests were on display to each other, since hers was so much smaller, but Yang didn’t seem to mind at all. “I can’t believe we’re skinny dipping, I feel so childish…”

“Really? Because you look like a real woman to me.”

Pleased more than she wanted to let on, Weiss pursed her lips to keep from grinning and finally stepped out of her panties. Yang had already seen her, after all - it just wasn’t in such a public setting. “Okay, there. Let’s get in the water so I don’t feel like such a… a degenerate!”

“Wow, touchy,” she chuckled as she stuffed the clothing into the basket. Then she turned and scooped Weiss up in one fluid motion.

“HEY!”

“Okay, so,” she began as she took long strides toward the water, “I may have told one teensy… little… FIB!”

Then she tossed Weiss into the water.

“AAAAH!” she cried out. “IT’S COLD!”

“Too bad, Schnee!” she cackled, beyond pleased with herself. Of course, it wasn’t particularly deep there, so it only took a few seconds of floundering and sputtering for her to get her feet under her and stand up, shivering and glaring daggers at where Yang was wading in, taking her sweet time.

“I’LL SHOW YOU!” she shouted - as she tugged her down into the water with her.

“No fair!” Yang shouted, though she was already laughing. Of course it wouldn’t work quite as well on her - she might have known.

The two paddled around for a few minutes, just laughing and splashing. Weiss had to admit she was having a lot of fun; both because of the whole trip, and because it was such a bold and obscene thing to do. Her mother would have kittens if she knew! Yang’s mother probably would even have something to say about it, about how foolish it was to let down their guard that way, even if she didn’t care about the nudity part. It was quite freeing, having nothing between her body and the water, even though it also felt unsettling having it ripple past certain sensitive areas.

“So,” Yang asked some time later - she couldn’t be sure how much. “Great idea, or greater idea?”

Shaking her head, she muttered, “So full of yourself” before pushing at Yang’s head. The blonde only laughed more. “But… okay, this is fun. Next time, I think I would prefer a bikini, even if you don’t think we needed one.”

“Awww, but I like knowing I get to do this whenever I want,” she purred, reaching out to poke Weiss’s nipple. She recoiled instantly, covering her chest. “Hah!”

“Don’t do that!” To retaliate, she did the same, and Yang also let out a little gasp before laughing. “See how it feels?!”

Biting her lip, she fluttered her eyelashes before whispering, “Feels pretty good. Do it again.”

“No.”

“Come on…” Unable to stay mad, a smile escaped Weiss’s guard as she poked a second time. “Oooh… you really have the Midas touch.”

Drifting a little closer, she began to caress over Yang’s ample bosom more earnestly, and saw the shift in the taller girl’s expression. The playfulness remained but muted, moved to behind a wall of pure lust. Her other hand grazed past the Dragons brand in the center of her chest on its way to the other breast, grazing over the erect nipple - as if they could be anything other than erect in such frigid waters. This felt like a terrible idea but she couldn’t help herself around Yang sometimes.

“O-okay,” Yang said with a shaky little laugh. “Maybe… we should take to this to the shore.”

“What’s the matter?” she teased, grinning at being the pursuer instead of the pursued for once. “Thought this was the whole idea.”

Shoving her hands off, Yang grinned wolfishly. “Giving me a run for my money, Schnee. Nah… I really did want to swim with you.”

That made her feel all warm inside, despite the chill on her skin. “And I’m having a great time.” She pulled her in for a deep kiss, hands ghosting up her back. It felt weird with their legs swirling around each other in the water, feeling wet skin slip and dimple under her fingertips, but it was oddly wonderful. New and beautiful and full of magic.

After another hour or so, they paddled back to the shore and stretched out on the blanket. The sun beat down on them from almost directly overhead, warming their bare skin. She glanced down along Yang’s body, at her sizable mounds and the flat plane of her stomach, the thatch of golden hair that disappeared between her legs. Every once in a while, one of them would twitch their foot over to poke the nearest one of the other person, just as a way to check they were still there.

“How long did you want to hang around here?” Weiss finally whispered, as if not wanting to break the comfortable silence that had grown between them. The sounds of the birds overhead and the gentle lapping of the lake water demanded their attention.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have you home in time for Perry Mason. Or whatever you watch in Casa Belladonna now.”

“I used to watch What’s My Line? with Father. But now… I don’t know, it won’t be the same anymore. Even if I did try it.”

Yang’s hand drifted over to pet up and down Weiss’s trim little abdomen. “Sorry. I know you didn’t want life to turn out… well, like this. And it’s kinda my fault.”

“No!” she cried, rolling to face her. “Come on. I may have lost my father, but… I got my mother back. I’ve missed her so much! And even if I never met you, I’m sure something else I did would have set him off, and… and I would have had no big, strong Dragon to help protect me. You or the others. So… I mean, yes, I’ve had a few pity parties about the whole thing, but for the most part? This is for the best. Really.”

The smile on Yang's face told the whole story. She already felt the same way, but couldn't help the lingering guilt from flaring up since she had started her down this path of deviance and iniquity. She pressed a gentle kiss to Weiss's lips, pulling back to gaze down into her eyes.

“Love you.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered, reaching up to grasp her by the hair and yank her down for another kiss, and another.

It wasn't long before their nude bodies were entwined as their lips danced, enjoying the warmth and the familiarity. The warmth built until it blazed, thighs slipping between thighs and rubbing against where the heat seemed to be collecting. It always seemed like Yang's was much hotter than hers. The more their bodies shifted, the slicker the trails they left behind until it felt like they had never left the lake at all.

“Weiss…” Their lips only parted long enough for that one word to slip out, and yet it was enough to double the passion for the young Schnee, rolling to perch atop Yang's body as their hips began to slam harder and harder. That broke the kiss for good, as they were beginning to need more and more air to keep going. “Weiss!”

The few people who ever got to see the mighty Yang looking so open, so submissive and given over to her own pleasure, should count themselves lucky. Weiss certainly did.

Within a few more minutes, the two of them were completely spent and lying curled around each other, catching their breath. Nothing had changed while they let passion take over. Birds still chirped in the trees and circled overhead, and the water still moved, and the wind still stirred the blades of grass surrounding their little blanket-island.

“Okay, so…” Yang began petting up and down her stomach again. “This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I brought you up here.”

“Liar.”

“Really! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't secretly hoping for it, sure, but… I also just wanted to have a nice day with you after all the craziness.”

Chuckling lightly, Weiss leaned up to press her lips into Yang's cheek. “Mission accomplished. I've been having a great time. Whoopee or no whoopee.”

“Who still calls it ‘whoopee’?” she chortled, earning her a hearty pinch on her ribs. “OW! Hey, hey!”

----------------------

They took their sweet time in getting dressed and the picnic packed up. Partly because Yang kept trying to undress Weiss again, and she had to take time to swat her away - even though she spent the whole time grinning. It was exactly what the two of them needed after so much strife in their lives lately.

“Wish I didn’t have to call it a night already,” Yang said over the road noise as they got back into Vale proper. “But… I kinda promised myself I would.”

“Promised yourself?”

Yang looked a little awkward. Weiss loved seeing her that way; it made her feel less like the only fish out of water in their relationship. Seeing her girlfriend display some vulnerability reminded her that they were both human, both figuring things out as they went.

“Well… your mom has had a really rough time, y’know? I don’t want to keep you out until all hours and make her worry.”

“Oh…” Her lips turned up into a small, pleased smile. “Yang, I… I didn’t think you ever thought twice about my mom. Thank you. I mean, on her behalf. That’s really sweet of you.”

Looking somehow proud and embarrassed at the same time, she dipped her head slightly. “Awww, it’s nothing.”

“No, it isn’t.” She leaned forward and squeezed her girlfriend a little tighter. “You’re a real gem.”

However, when they turned the corner and saw someone waiting on the Belladonna lawn, their little bubble of happiness receded - not completely, but the confusion definitely intruded on their bliss.

“Ruby?” Yang asked the worried-looking girl when she arrived. “What are you doing here?”

Stepping forward, the diminutive little sister tried to speak, but it came out more like a squeak than a speak. “I’m s-s-sorry if this is a bad time… but… do you have a minute?”

[ihaveallthesefeelsokay]

Heaven was never perfect, even if Gabriel thought it was.  Back in the halcyon early days.

Back when they fought Amara, locked her away and gave Lucifer the key.

Lucifer, who burned so brightly it hurt even Gabriel sometimes.  Who glowed even brighter as he basked in the love of their Father.

Then the Leviathan came and the Archangels had a purpose again - they fought and battled and won.  Purgatory was newly formed, just for Beasts.

Father said he had a Plan.  He always had a Plan.

He created the other angels and Earth and then humans. His masterpiece, he said.

Gabriel had thought the Archangels were his masterpieces.

The world was still young when Father banished Lucifer from Heaven.

Heaven dimmed a little that day.

Michael (first, but always second) watched as Lucifer and the others he brought with them walked the earth, talked with the humans Father had so carefully crafted, manipulated and cajoled them.

Gabriel watches, despairs for his brother, despairs that he is so angry at Father, destroying what he built, making his own poorer copy of Heaven, his own angels(demons) and archangels(Princes of Hell).

Father sends him to Earth sometimes, to take His messages to the people.  Different people in different places, messages to help them all along in different ways.

But it doesn’t work.  Lucifer is too present in this world.  The copycat Heaven he created is too efficient and unlike Father, its master doesn’t hold his children back.

Michael is angry, talks to Father to make him angry too.  Gabriel, sorrowful, pleads with his brother and his Father, but the decision is made.  Lucifer must stop. Gabriel’s voice is heard. Michael first must talk to his brother.

Gabriel prepares a vessel for his brother, promises its mother that it will be a Son of God - someday, when Michael takes possession.  The vessel is raised willing and says “yes” as he is dunked beneath the waters of the river Jordan. Michael sets out to redeem the people there - flawed and prone to failure but still faithful.  He tells them of ways to resist the temptations of Lucifer, tells them of Father’s desires for them, but only a few listen.

Those few are taught.  Taught how to fight Lucifer and his creations, taught how to fight the Beasts that now plague the Earth.  They listen.

Lucifer does not.  He tries to tempt Michael, to lure him away from Father (and Gabriel).  Michael holds steadfast and when Lucifer’s agents managed to crucify the vessel, Michael and Lucifer fought for two nights and three days, ending with Lucifer locked in the Cage, behind many Seals.

Michael revives his vessel after, giving his followers their last guidance and sparking a new religion, one which remained powerful against demons and Beasts for thousands of years.

Heaven was never meant for just three Archangels.  They no longer balance and they fight - about Father’s love, about Lucifer, about their purpose now that there is nothing to fight but each other.

Gabriel takes respites on Earth, meets people and pagan gods and other beings.  He learns from them: tricks and tools and the desire to run away.

One trip to Earth, Gabriel meets Loki, a Norse god bound in his own son’s guts, imprisoned with only his wife to keep him company.  Gabriel frees him, elicits a promise of help later.

Father’s plan scares Gabriel.  He knows now that Father meant for Michael and Lucifer to fight.  Both times. And there’s to be a third, years from now.

Gabriel doesn’t want this.  But he can’t escape Father’s gaze.

But then Father goes away.  He sends Gabriel on one last mission, to talk to a man in the desert named Muhammad, and when Gabriel returns, Father is gone.  Missing. Unfindable.

Michael and Raphael declare that no one will ever know, except the Archangels.  Michael rules Heaven as if Father is still in his chambers, rules with an iron fist.  Raphael is his best lieutenant.

Gabriel sees his chance and flees.  Just like Father.

Once on Earth, Gabriel finds a vessel, finds the god Loki, calls in his favor.  Loki gives the vessel his face, teaches Gabriel to be him, then goes off with his remaining sons.  Gabriel is free - for the first time in his life, as long as he stays away from his (old) family.

Learning to be a pagan god is difficult.  The Norse gods don’t like Loki, so he heads south, meets a Hindu goddess named Kali.  She is full of the rage and pain and destruction Gabriel feels inside when he thinks of his brothers, of Lucifer in the cage, of Michael fighting him someday, and Gabriel feels love for someone other than family for the first time.

But Kali is fickle and leaves Gabriel.  He is alone again. He doesn’t know how to be alone.

Abrahamic religions take over much of the pagan world and Gabriel must find a new way.  He settles in as a trickster, like Loki before him, but less than before. He acts out the part, eats the sweets, deals out ironic fates.

Gabriel doesn’t realize he still tries to fulfill his directive from God - giving messages and exacting justice.  Without Father’s guidance, however, his sense of justice is twisted. Twisted from pain, from years alone, from the influence of the monstrous pagans.  If souls are eternal, after all, what does it matter if a human is alive or dead?

For a thousand years, Gabriel lays low.  Loki lays even lower. Hunters fight true tricksters, and Gabriel lets them believe they’ve killed him before moving on to the next place.

Gabriel lays low and lonely, carefree but hollow, until Mary Campbell makes a deal with Azazel and sets the Apocalypse into motion.

Now Gabriel is scared.  He knows the future. He doesn’t want Father’s Plan to come to fruition.

But Father isn’t here.  Maybe Gabriel can stop it…

[winchesterprincessbride]

Poor Little Rich Girl-Part 3

This is an A/B/O AU

*Warning for domestic violence trigger****but girl power conquers all!

Your father Lucifer, is the Alpha of your pack and he rules your town with an iron fist.  He is forcing you to marry the son and heir of a rival pack.  It is 3 weeks before your wedding when you find out Sam Winchester is back.   Sam was your first love at 17, and when your father found out, he forced his family to leave town.  You haven’t spoken to him since.  What will happen when you see him again?

Characters: Alpha! Sam Winchester, Beta! Dean Winchester, Omega!Castiel Novak, Omega! Mary Winchester, Reader, Alpha! (Nick) Lucifer, Beta! Michael, Beta! Gabriel, Beta! Stephanie (OC), Alpha Eric (OC) Chuck (mentioned)

Master List

Introduction (all parts are linked)

Text messages are listed in Bold

“Please tell me you're going tonight,” I whispered to Steph the minute she answered her phone.

“Of course I am.  What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t have your back against that asshole?”  Steph barked.  Saying that my best friend hated my fiancee would be a vast understatement.  Steph LOATHED Eric.

She didn’t like the way he talked down to me or the way he looked at any female that came in his line of vision.  Her older brother David had told her he’d heard whispered stories of some twisted shit that went on in the Whitehall pack.

“Steph”.  I sighed.  “You know I have no choice, right?”

“I know you THINK you don’t have a choice.” Steph snapped.  We’d had this conversation before.   “This is America, not medieval England.  You father can’t legally force you to marry someone you don’t even like, just because he’s the Alpha.  He should want what’s best for you, and Eric is so not it.  Please don’t do this, Y/N.  Please, I’m begging you.  There’s something in Eric’s eyes...... Something that scares me.”

Anyone who knows me knows I can’t bake to save my life, so it was off to Mrs. Robideaux’s bakery for something sweet to bring to the pack meeting.  Uncle Gabe had been famous for his sweet tooth, so I was sent to Mrs. R’s for cakes and baked goods from the time I learned to ride a bike.

Mrs. R. was a rotund African-American woman who was always covered in flour and smelled like cinnamon and vanilla.  She gave the best hugs.  When she saw me a smile lit her face and she came from behind the counter.

“And just where have you been, young lady? Your Uncle Gabe must be in town because I haven’t seen you in here in ages.”

“He should be coming in soon for the wedding.  I came to get some of your lemon bars for the pack meeting tonight.”  I said as I hugged her tightly.

I saw the smile on her face falter slightly as I mentioned the wedding.  She gave a nod to her niece Thea to continue waiting on customers as she pulled me into the back for a chat as she had so many times before.

“Are you sure about this, Y/N? I have heard things.....I just want to make sure you're not in over your head.”

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, feeling completely overwhelmed with my life.  Why couldn’t this be a real wedding? Why couldn’t people be congratulating me, instead of worrying I was making a huge mistake?  Why couldn’t I be looking forward to my wedding with breathless anticipation, instead of feeling like I was simply exchanging one prison for another?

The pack meeting was held at an old hunting lodge in the woods outside of town.  Eric, and his father would be attending as part of the delegation from the Whitehall pack.  Knowing my Dad, he was going to pull out all the stops to impress them with a show of his power as Alpha.

At least I had one thing to be happy about.  When I got home from Mrs. R’s, Uncle Gabe was in my father’s study talking with him and Uncle Michael.  He had his feet up on the coffee table, ignoring my Dad’s frown of irritation as usual.  He jumped up as soon as he saw me.

“Hey beautiful! Did you miss me?” He opened his arms wide and I ran to him like I did when I was a little girl.

“Always, Uncle Gabe, Always.  Where’s Kali?” I asked immediately.

“She’ll be coming in for the wedding, but she had some work stuff to finish up first.” He said smoothly.  Kali was Uncle Gabe’s mate. She worked for one of Dad’s many companies doing who-knows what.  No one told me much of anything.  Everyone in the family worked for my Dad.

“Y/N,” My Dad said, turning to me. “You should go and get ready.”

“Ready for what?” I asked grumpily.  “To be seen and not heard?”

My father glared at me, and Uncle Gabe snickered.  “I need to go pick up Steph.  She asked for a ride.  She’s having car trouble.”

“We can catch up afterwards, Uncle Gabe.  I want to hear all about your adventures!” I told him, kissing him on the cheek and earning his trademark smirk in return.  I was so happy he was back.  Everything seemed so much lighter and more pleasant when he was around.

I left the room and Uncle Michael closed the door behind me.  I stood outside the closed door for a moment, and I could hear raised voices, my fathers and Uncle Gabe’s.  “I don’t Like this, Luci, not one damn bit!  I’ve heard that Eric has a really bad temper, and the Whitehall Alphas treat their Omegas like shit!”

“Y/N will be fine.” My father said smoothly.  “We need this alliance.Besides, do you really think he would be stupid enough hurt her? She is a strong independent Omega.  She’s just like her mother.”

“Yeah, and look where it got her.” Michael said darkly.

When Steph and I arrived at the pack meeting, the Whitehall pack had already arrived.  I spotted Eric and instantly felt myself tense.  Oh he was handsome enough, but  when he touched me it made my skin crawl.

 As Steph and I walked over to the refreshment table to put down our treats, I heard an amused voice behind me.  “You still remembered that I like lemon bars?”

I took a deep breath and turned around.  “Hi, Sam.  You remember my friend Steph.  Steph.  This giant was once my math tutor Sam Winchester.  And this is his brother Dean.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I tensed momentarily, but it was only Uncle Gabe.  “Sam, Dean, Steph.  You guys all remember my Uncle Gabe, right?  He just flew in for the.....for the wedding.”

Sam’s jaw clenched at the mention of the wedding. As we stood talking, I felt a hand reach over and slide down the curve of my ass. I jumped and turned to see who the pervert was.  What the hell? 

I saw Steph roll her eyes at Dean and I knew t was Eric.  “Hey, Babe.  Who are your friends?” He asked, not bothering to introduce himself.

I tried not to clench my teeth as I spoke.  “Eric, this is Sam and Dean Winchester, old friends of mine.  They are joining the pack tonight.”

“Hey,”  Eric said, nodding his head.  He smirked at Steph.  “Hey, Steph.  Once Y/N and I are mated, we are gonna have to find you a mate in the Whitehall pack.  I know some guys that would love a hot piece like you.”

Steph gasped and her face turned red.  “I will NEVER let that happen, Eric,” I said, glaring at him and grabbing Steph’s hand, I hauled her off to the bathroom.

Eric acted like I hadn’t spoken.  Sam and Dean watched me drag Steph to the bathroom as fast as possible to get away from him.  “That Y/N is a feisty one.” He told them conversationally.  “But I’m gonna knot that feistiness outta her real quick.  We like our Omegas a little more......docile in Whitehall.  Know what I mean, boys?” He shot Sam and Dean a telling grin before walking away.

Sam cursed under his breath and started to head in Eric’s direction.  “No Sam,” Dean said firmly.  “Don’t.  Now is not the time or place.  Calm the fuck down.” Dean’s hard grip on Sam’s arm kept Sam from charging after the other Alpha and kicking his ass.

“There is no fucking way this wedding is happening, Dean,” Sam growled at his brother.

“You flipping your shit right now isn’t gonna do Y/N any favors. Stick to the plan.” Dean hissed.

My father called the meeting to order, Uncle Michael and Uncle Gabe at his side.  It was so strange to see Uncle Gabe looking serious and unsmiling. Dad’s commanding voice held the room at attention.

“Tonight we welcome our guests from the Whitehall pack.  In two weeks my daughter Y/N and Eric, the son of their Alpha, will be married. We hope this union will end years of tension and hostility between our packs.”

“Don’t count on it.” I muttered under my breath.

Sam and Dean were welcomed as new members of the pack and they both took the oath of fealty to the Alpha.  I knew Sam didn’t mean of a word of it.  Why was he doing this?  What did he hope to accomplish?

I had finally gotten Steph calmed down.  Eric had really rattled her.  After the meeting was over and people started to leave, Eric said he wanted to talk to me.  “Wedding stuff.”  He said tersely.

“I have to take Steph home.  I’m her ride.” I said weakly.

“I can give her a ride home.” Dean offered.  “I came straight from work so Sam and I rode separately.  I mean, if that’s okay with her.  Steph nodded, not saying much, which was rare for her.

Sam had already left, without even saying goodbye.  Dean said he “wasn’t feeling well”, which was utter bullshit.  I could feel the anger rolling off him in waves as soon as Steph and I left for the bathroom.  I kept sneaking looks at him during the meeting and he looked like his head was gonna explode.

“Okay, Eric.  I’ll come with you.” I said meekly.

Everyone had pretty much left when he and I started walking out.

“What was that crap with you contradicting me in from of your friends, huh Y/N?” He demanded suddenly.

“What?” I asked, confused.

He grabbed my arm and pushed me up against his car.  “You don’t EVER contradict me in front of people, Omega.”

“Get the fuck off of me, you asshole!” I demanded.  

He leaned in and kissed me hard until I bit his lip, then he pulled away with a curse. When he touched his hand to his lip and it came away bloody he cursed and backhanded me hard, knocking me back against the car, his ring splitting my lip.

He started to undo his belt.  “I think I need to start your lessons early, Omega.  I’m gonna fuck that fire right outta you, and fill you up with my pups.  Starting right now.”

I reached into my purse which hung across my body and felt around for my can of wolfsbane spray and sprayed Eric full in the face.  He screamed and clutched at his eyes.  I got to my feet and kicked him in the nuts as hard as I could.  He dropped like a stone, moaning and crying and clutching at his groin.  His eyes were rapidly swelling shut.

I sent Steph a quick text

Please have Dean call Sam to come get me.  I’ll explain later

I pulled off my engagement ring and dropped in in Eric’s lap.  “Lesson’s over, Alpha.”

Part 4

@skybinx-blog @percywinchester27 @a-sea-of-fandoms @dorky-and-i-know-it@fangirl1802 @pinknerdpanda  @atc74@jayankles  @notnaturalanahi @midnightjazzmine @moonlitskinwalker @we-are-band-sexuals @winchestergirl-love @gecko9596 @ronnie248-blog@essie1876 @bohowitch@just-another-busy-fangirl@jotink78 @captainradicalpassion @keelzy2 @disneymarina @kittenofdoomage @mrswhozeewhatsis @oriona75 @frankiea1998 @akshi8278@stylinson531@valynsia  @dr-dean@theoutlinez  @imweirdandobsessed @growningupgeek   @luciisthebest @curleyblondexoxo @abbessolute @ayeeitsemery @prettyxwickedxthings @vh1015@roseblood11 @supernaturaldean67 @canadianjelly @muliermalefici @maddieburcham1 @laurenisnot @humanandangel @blood-woman

[aryaes]

Complete the questions & say who tagged you in the beginning. When you’re finished, tag people to do this survey. Have fun and enjoy!

tagged by @gryewaren and @ricchardmadden!! thanks so much karen and ellie!! ♡

tagging: @fcyre, @dafnekeen, @cass-ian, @elains, @caradocdearborn, @ninazcneik, @virtuestars, @wintercovrt, @kalebkrychek, @missteetran, @caelypso, @injesgahfa, @adarlan, @fredweaselys, @ginys, @solarths, @cahrawen, @jesperfaehey

1. Are you named after someone? hmmm, i don’t think so 2. When was the last time you cried? full on crying??? probably last two months but i’ve been tearing up while reading crooked kingdom so,,,,,,,, help,,,, me 3. Do you like your handwriting? yes!! but sometimes it’s messy and i couldn’t even read it myself  4. What is your favorite lunch meat? beef???? or chicken 5. Do you have kids? *looks at list of my favorite fictional characters* ya 6. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? hmmm, probably?? i’m not that sure about myself 7. Do you use sarcasm? ABSOLUTELY 8. Do you still have your tonsils? yes 9. Would you bungee jump? that sounds like fun but i’m not ready for that bye 10. What is your favorite kind of cereal? ok so there’s this granola bits/cereal that i absolutely love, it’s like coated with sugar or vanilla but i don’t really remember and it was one of the most beautiful things i’ve ever tasted!!! i absolutely love cereals man 11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? not really  12. Do you think you’re a strong person? mentally, probably but physically????? i’m the weakest 13. What is your favorite ice cream? strawberry, mint chocolate, chocolate or ube :) 14. What is the first thing you notice about people? eyes!! 15. What is your least favorite physical thing you like about yourself? like my whole being  16. What color pants and shoes are you wearing now? i’m wearing dark blue skinny jeans and grey socks 17. What are you listening to right now? get you by daniel caesar ft. kali uchis 18. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? grey, or blue 19. Favorite smell? this white musk scent from the body shop 20. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? my older sister 21. Favorite sport to watch? volleyball or basketball  22. Hair color? black 23. Eye color? dark brown/black 24. Do you wear contacts? nope 25. Favorite food to eat? right now, i’m so into spicy food!! especially this korean fire noodles, it’s so good!!! 26. Scary movies or comedy? scary!!! (if you guys have any fav scary movies, pls send me some!) but also comedy  27. Last movie you watched? the great gatsby/finding dory omg 28. What color of shirt are you wearing? i’m wearing a black and white striped shirt 29. Summer or winter? summer bc i hate snow  30. Hugs or kisses? hugs 31. What book are you currently reading? crooked kingdom!!!!! and it’s breaking me!!!! apart!!!! i’m crying at one chapter then i’m laughing my ass off at the next one like???  32. What do you miss right now? i miss the old times i’ve spent with my friend from the philippines :( i miss him but ya know whatever!!!! but mostly it’s my motivation hahhhhahhhahah  33. What is on your mouse pad? nothing 34. What is the last tv program you watched? this filipino show called “ipaglaban mo,” and iron fist 35. What is the best sound? hearing people that i love, laugh 36. Rolling Stones or The Beatles? you know who i like?? the beegees man 37. What is the furthest you’ve ever traveled? america 38. Do you have a special talent? okay omg so i don’t know if this is a special talent!!! but my family finds it weird that i could move my neck forward & backward without moving my shoulders???????? i don’t know??? but if you call annoying people a special talent also, then ya 39. Where were you born? Cavite, Philippines

[harmfuhl]

India, I’ve given you all and now I’m nothing.

India, you were born on the back of Brahma’s1 cosmic wings

India, Matsya, Vamana, Kalki2 in your growing incarnations of Vishnu3

India, you’re burning

India, fire, earth, metal, water, wood

your revolution is always churning, and Shiva4 is your prestige

India, the land of the sacred, of the scared

India, you’re the cradle of the human race

three teachers, three friends, three enemies and three great loves

India, Trimurti5 of peace, love, equality

India, thou art the ruler of the hearts of all people6

or just a seraphic hymn?

India, you’re a liar, you’re a hypocrite

India, I love you, but you’re bringing me down.

India, when will you be real?

when will you be pure?

India, help me, I am on fire for you.

India the day melts into the horizon and our beloved devi’s7 are disarmed

India I can’t walk out my door without my coat of everlasting fear

India, is this fair?

you touch me, and i burn, but it’s okay

for you touch me and i scream but i cannot be heard

India I am your Kali, your Sarasvati, your Durga, your Laxmi8

India, you call me ‘randi’9 and I am just trying to breathe

When will you ever let me breathe?

India, you’re choking me

I am still a schoolgirl when you force your ‘culture’ upon me

When you fasten your chokehold around my muted neck and I am now your property

India I am scared

I don’t want to be scared

India, you held me down in the back of a bus and tore me apart

India, you threw me, bleeding and alone, onto cold midnight streets

India, you left me, weeping, bawling, howling, and blood-soaked, begging for you to protect me

India, I can’t be scared of you anymore

India, to be brave, to be fearless - Nirbhaya10

the day melts and the sky is crying and so am I

India, when will you keep me from burning?

India, can’t you see, I could be your sister, mother, daughter

India, I am talking to myself

India, I don’t want to be you, but I am you

And I am ashamed

India, I made you like this

From the womb, divided

2000 girl children a day, stifled before their first breath

while the other half grows plump with promotion

India, I don’t think this is fair

India, you’ve bruised me

you burn through my stygian skin

racism within a race

India, you’re my home, but still I feel out of place

65 summers since freedom found,

India my liberty remains in your handcuffs, still

my triple-baked home, and i’ll never be what you need

my moonless, coffee complexion smothers me

India, i’m burning

I’m no longer your ‘dalit’11

India, you keep me untouchable, oppressed -

your streets scream, and spit at me ‘fair and lovely’, insipid and ill-favoured,

you splutter venom at me, ‘kali billi’12, and it stings

When will you realise I’m just sun-kissed?

When will you realise I’m blessed?

When will you realise I’m holy?

India you pray feverishly to your abundant deity’s,

moved by the passions of the Gods, your immortal hate beats it’s glorious wings

India, your sacred cow and sacrificial lamb go hand in hand

India, why are we so estranged?

70 winters since the siberian split, still

India, you haven’t found your way back to me

I try to crawl back to you but will it ever be the same?

India, our holy books sing in unity, preaching for love

yet, you cut me - ‘Paki’13, ‘Katwa’14 - ‘this is not your country’

Hindu, or Muslim, our blood runs red

2002, and 2000 dead

India, you’re burning, you’re butchering me

India, how could you possibly know better?

Namo, economic genius, our beloved prime minister, Modiji

Is all forgiven?

Already?

‘Maut ka Saudagar’15, our leader, our king

2002, and 2000 dead - Narendra sat complacent, but let it be

Fiscal brilliance, India you know what’s important

the paper we pray to, a matter of misery

India, the common-man’s land, but I’ve never won,

religion of the king and religion of the poor,

India, you dream without a plan

India, I can’t be what you want me to be

you make all the rules

India, you allow injustice as iron fists

born under no roof, and I’m forsaken by all of your gods

India, I watch you and you’re in heart-rendering motion, the grass is always greener

India, I want to feel proud of you but you’re leaving me for the other side

India, I want to chase after you but my bare soles bleed against your scalding soil

Have you forgotten about me?

India, I am forced to stand, worn out legs like twigs

In caterwaul silence, I watch you, cozy with your economic boom

India, you drive past me in your cosmic cars and I stand aching, once again I can’t move

22 of 1.2 billion forgotten,

India, you’ve left us burning

your pristine new habitats, an abundance of opulence

I burn under no roof - no shoes, no shirt, no love

India, barely a kilometre away but your distance feels a Creation apart

India, where is the equality you call for?

India, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva

merely a figment of your imagination

India, is this correct?

India, your red-blue-red-blue city lights weep,

India, I’m burning

Can you save me?

[dicloniusgames]

Stranger Things 2 Review

Just when you thought the danger of Hawkins, Indiana was defeated, The Upside Down rears its’ ugly head once again. 

Season two starts out with a band of misfits in Pittsburgh on the run murdering what seems to be random people but the leader of this ragtag team has a marking of “008″ on her arm thus giving viewers insight as to who she may be. 

Story & Characters

Set one year after the events of season one and the demogorgon assumed dead, the core four of Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas are at the arcade as someone named “MADMAX” has bested Dustin’s score on the game Dig Dug. Though things seem normal, for Will, The Upside Down rears its’ ugly head again as he’s haunted by it once again along with a shadow of sorts looming over the arcade. 

As the boys attempt to determine who “MADMAX” is, we get introduced to two new characters, Billy and Maxine. Billy is your stereotypical ‘80s guy who comes off as more of an asshole that Steve was in season one. Maxine (A.K.A. Max) is the typical outcast with an isolated attitude and is never seen without her skateboard, but someone who’s also controlled by her older step-brother like an iron fist. 

Series regulars like Joyce and Sheriff Hopper return as they’re relieved the nightmare is over (or so they seem). Joyce has a new boyfriend, Bob (portrayed by Sean Astin) and he does a masterful job as Bob with his wit, sarcasm, genius, and fatherly-like instinct to Will. Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve also return as while Steve and Nancy are still together, Jonathan’s feelings for Nancy still linger in the air and animosity between Billy and Steve heats up immediately on the basketball court at school. 

A few episodes in, Will is possessed by the shadow monster, on Halloween night, and becomes its’ spy. Dustin also finds a slug-like “pet” that unbeknownst to him transforms into a “demodog” (Demodorgon & a dog as he says). Immediately, Joyce, Bob, and Hopper take Will to the lab to get checked out and are met by Dr. Sam Owens. Owens is the new lead doctor at the lab and is genuine in his attempts to cure Will of whatever is attacking him but is usually cut off at the pass by the other malicious doctors. 

After Jonathan and Nancy are “kidnapped” by the lab, they discover Barb’s death may have been intentional as Nancy records a conversation between the three of them and locate a conspiracy theorist named Murray Bauman who was seen earlier in the series as he claims a “Russian girl” was seen in Hawkins and may be linked to the Soviets as the show takes place at the height of the Cold War. Bauman states that in order for the public to believe Nancy and Jonathan’s claims, they must water it down to the simplest form and do so and record multiple tapes and send them out to the Chicago Sun Times to expose what the lab did to Barb and all the while, Nancy and Jonathan finally admit their feelings for one another. 

Meanwhile, Steve plays babysitter to the rest of the kids and becomes their protector of sorts, even with his badass hairdo and nail-bat in hand. 

Hopper discovers with Joyce and the kids’ help that there are tunnels that connects The Upside Down and as Hopper finds a way in, he’s attacked by the vines in the tunnels of The Upside Down, but does manage to escape with help. 

We also discover he’s harboring Eleven in his cabin outside of town in the woods and does what he has to in order to protect Eleven, even if she thinks it’s harsh of him to not let her go out. After a heated argument halfway through the season, Eleven runs away to find her mother as she discovers her real name is Jane Ives and that she was kidnapped as she finds “mama” in a catatonic state with her sister watching over her mother. After using her powers to communicate with her mother, Eleven/Jane discovers she’s to go to Chicago to find the other test subject that was in the rainbow room with her the day her mother attempted to get her out of the facility, but ultimately failed and was given EST (Electroshock Therapy). 

Once in Chicago, Eleven uses her powers to find the other test subject “008″ known as Kali. Kali and her group take her in and reveal they’re hunting the employees responsible for killing mama. 

They locate Ray Carroll as the man who performed the EST procedure on mama causing her to go into a catatonic-like state when Jane sees her for the first time and threaten to kill him, but just as they do, he reveals Dr. Brenner is still alive which peaks Eleven’s interest, but without any solid proof, they leave Ray alive and with the cops nearby, they head back to their hideout where Kali shows Brenner to Eleven via illusion abilities Kali possesses and Brenner claims he’s still alive and that a virus is eating away at Eleven and will only spread as time goes on. 

Knowing this, Eleven tells Kali and her gang of misfits she must return to Hawkins to save her friends and after Bob’s unfortunate death at the hands of the Demodogs in chapter eight, and does so in bitchin’ fashion sporting a new look but the same badass attitude. 

Everything comes to ahead in the final chapter as the fight to save Will, destroy the army of demodogs and stop “The Mind Flayer.” Billy even gets his just due as Max stands up for herself against her stepbrother during a confrontation between him and Lucas and a fight between him and Steve. 

At the end of the day, Eleven and Hopper infiltrate the lab to close the gate for good, justice is served for Barb, Hopper is given legal custody of Eleven (now known as Jane Hopper) and the Snow Ball dance takes place in the closing minutes as Dustin dances with Nancy with hair-do from Steve, Will’s “zombie boy” reputation scores him a dance, Lucas and Max get together, and Mike and Eleven get their dance too, but not everything ends happily as one final shot of The Upside Down is shown with The Shadow Monster lurking over the school. 

Final Thoughts 

Overall, season two ramps up the intensity season one left off on. While Eleven isn’t the focus, it gives other characters like Steve and Dustin to shine along with giving viewers insight as to the abusive relationship between Maxine and Billy and why Billy is the way he is. The fact we get Eleven’s background fleshed out and that there are more like her out there who were abused by the lab is outstanding as it makes us feel even more for Eleven as well as Kali. Steve improves a lot as a character after Nancy breaks up with him and becomes a protector of the other children with his signature nail bat and badass hair (We even discover the secret to his badass hairdo). 

Season two is great even if Eleven isn’t the focus. I do hope the writers explain more about the other possible children abducted by the lab, Maxine’s past as she’s referred to as Billy’s stepsister and what could happen to either Dustin or Hopper or possibly both of them as they were exposed to the toxin in the tunnels of The Upside Down along with other unanswered questions fans may have had after the season finale. 

Pros: 

+Great Cinematography/Music Provides For Awesome Scenes & Fights 

+Maxine & Billy Provide New Blood To The Show 

+Eleven’s Badass Return In Episode 8, Eleven’s Backstory & Kali Provides Potential 

Cons: 

-The Hopper/Eleven “Relationship” Felt Forced At Times 

-Dr. Owens Felt Like A “Stand-In Brenner” 

Final Score: 9/10 

[theloopylibrarian]

New Post has been published on The Loopy Librarian

New Post has been published on http://www.theloopylibrarian.com/book-blast-soul-warrior-falguni-kothari/

Book Blast: Soul Warrior by Falguni Kothari

★.•**•.★ Soul Warrior Book Blast ★.•**•.★ 

15th to 17th September, 2017

    The Age of Kali is a series of mythic fantasy novels by international bestselling novelist Falguni Kothari. The first book of the series, Soul Warrior, introduces readers to a fictional law-governed Cosmos made up of heavenly, demonic and human realms and its protagonist, Lord Karna, the legendary guardian of the Human Realm, who is coerced into training six godlings into demon hunters against a rising demon army. The series arc interlocks into a war of domination between the Light and Dark forces of the Cosmos and the race to control the one soul capable of total cosmic annihilation, demi-god Karna’s and Draupadi’s secret child.

    Get Your Copy from AMAZON

        Praise for Soul Warrior:

  “A beautiful exploration of fantasy and mythology, Soul Warrior (The Age of Kali) is the latest release from Falguni Kothari and by any stretch of the imagination she’s delivered an awesome story. Rich, enchanting, evocative, she effortlessly blends an ancient Indian epic and South Asian mythology with grace and quiet elegance to create the canvas upon which her miraculous world finds form…. Beautifully written and enviably imaginative, Soul Warrior proves an exemplary example of Fantasy Fiction. Definitely deserving of your attention it is recommended without reservation!”    —Book Viral  “I loved the writing which… hit that nice spot between being evocative and descriptive and still keeping the story moving….It has a huge cast of fascinating characters, a deep and rich world and definitely something I’m interested in following.”    —Fangs for Fantasy  “I loved the way Ms. Falguni has shown an eye for the details scattered throughout the novel…. Will I recommend this book? Oh yes, and be assured you will grab the next one too just to know more about the Soul Warrior.”    —Global Asian Times  “The plot is intriguing, much in the tradition of a modern thriller…. Precisely sketched and nuanced with quirky detail, the characters enrich the story they inhabit…. The vibrant characters in the multi-hued setting are the stuff superhero animation films are made of. Soul Warrior engrosses and enthralls. A thumping good read, I would say.”    —Of Prose and Poetry blog  Read an Excerpt:

SHUNYA: NOTHING AND EVERYTHING

Kuru Kshetra Battlefield.         Day 17 of the Great Kuru War, seven thousand five hundred years ago. Death is hot. That surprises me. I’d imagined death as cold and brutal. Merciless. But in truth, death is hot as blood, and constant like a heartbeat. Thrum. Thrum. Thrum. My lifeblood ebbs to the rhythm. My head ripped from its torso by Anjalika, the arrow of death that burns even now with the energy of the sun. Struck from behind like some novice. Felled in battle by that lily-livered usurper the Heavens smile upon—Prince Arjun. Brother Arjun. What have I done? I harness the thought. Cease all reflection and wrench free of my mortal body. I soar up, up into the gloaming, snapping the ties that tether me to life. Dead, I have no use for ties. “A matter of perspective, Karna, O son of my godsire.” The unearthly words strum through the air, and I quiver like a plucked bowstring, overcome as much by the voice as its blasphemous claim.  “Bonds of devotion nourish the soul, brother.” There is that word again. Brother. Unpleasant laughter wells up in me. Alive, I am abandoned, denied my birthright—Celestial or royal. Death, it seems, changes everything. A bright, nebulous light brings forth Lord Yama, the God of Death, atop his divine mount. His elephantine thighs ripple beneath a silken dhoti, ochre and crimson of color, as he guides the mammoth water buffalo to a halt. An iron medallion sways against the God’s powerful cerulean torso, its center stone an ethereal blood orange. Hypnotic. Pulsing with life. I am drawn to the stone. “Piteous waste,” Lord Yama mutters, surveying the carnage of war far below us. I trace the trajectory of his gaze and behold the battered remains of my army drenched in the evidence of its mortality. Is it true? Have we died in vain? Words form inside me and I will them out. “Shall we go, my lord?” “Ha! Impatient to be judged, are you? Anxious to have your fate revealed?” asks the Judge of the Hell Realm. His red-black eyes burn with intelligence and compassion in a blue-tinged face that is long and lean and hard. “Rest easy, brother-warrior. You are not bound for the Great Courtroom.” Not bound for Hell? Where then? Fear has eluded me for so long that I take a moment to recognize it.  A hollow-bellied feeling it is, as annoying as a bone stuck in my throat. “My lord, I have done bad deeds…terrible deeds in my life. I have waged wars, this horrendous bloodshed, and all because my pride could not—would not abide rejection. I have sinned. I must atone for my actions.” Lord Yama smiles in a way I do not like. “You have redeemed yourself admirably, Karna. You forfeited your life for the greater good today. The deed far outweighs any misguided ones. Be at peace, brother, and enjoy the fruits of your karma.” There is but one place to enjoy such fruits—the Higher Worlds. I’d rather burn in Hell for eternity. I say so. “I won’t live amongst the Celestials.” Coexisting with the very souls who’ve spurned me is unthinkable. Watching her—for she would surely reside in Heaven soon—will be eternal torture. Yama shakes his head, the horns on his crown slashing to and fro. “I thought you might say that. Relax. Your destiny lies elsewhere.” “Am I to be reborn then? Am I to begin a new life, and forget the past?” Pain, sharp as a blade, lances through me at the thought. Forget my past? My family? Even her? Was that my punishment? To forget all that made me human? It must be so. For have I not betrayed them as surely as I’ve betrayed my prince regent? “Human rebirth is not your destiny, either. You are chosen, brother. Your war skills are needed for a higher purpose.” The God slips off his mount, his garments rustling in agitation. “This unjust war has pushed the Cosmos to the vortex of a cataclysm. Tomorrow, the Kuru War will end. Fearing its outcome, the Celestials rolled the Die of Fate and have unwittingly bestowed on Demon Kali untold powers.” Lord Yama bares his fangs in disgust at the foolish gamble. “Imagine the havoc that asura and his minions will wreak on the weak if left unchecked. The Human Realm must be safeguarded during Kali’s dark reign.” I can imagine the horror only too well as I have battled with evil all my life. But I am done with wars.  I am done with defeat. I won’t waste another lifetime fighting. “With due respect, my lord, I am not the man for this task.” “You are not a man at all,” Yama thunders, fists shaking. “You are the son of Surya, the Sun God. Accept that you are no ordinary soul.” I say nothing. I think nothing. I feel something but I squash it down. Lord Yama’s thick black brows draw together. “Demon Kali will try to pervade every particle of good that exists in the Cosmos, beginning with the corruptible Human Realm. Once he obliterates all of humanity, he’ll set his sights on the Celestials. Kali will not stop until he’s destroyed our way of life. But you can stop him. You are light to his darkness. Do you understand now why you had to betray him? Your beloved humans need you, Karna. I need you. Our father believes in you. Claim your rightful place in the Cosmos.” Impatiently, Lord Yama removes the iron medallion from his neck and holds it out. The vermillion sunstone glows as if its soul is on fire. Nay! It is my soul that is on fire. Indescribable energy curls through me. I gasp, though not in pain. I shudder and feel myself grow large, grow hot. Was this rebirth? I am strong, full-bodied and lethal once more. Then I roar as light bursts forth from my very core and I throb with glorious, blinding power. When I come to myself, my world has changed again. Bubbles of color shimmer all around me: cobalt and saffron, azure and rose. By karma! They are souls. Infinite floating souls. “Behold the spectrum of life: the worthy, the notorious, the righteous and the sinners.” The God of Death’s soul was a worthy sapphire blue with a tinge of silver. “Your duty, should you choose to accept the office of the Soul Warrior, is to hunt down the red-souled asuras and crush them. Whatever you decide, I wish you a long and successful Celestial existence, Karna,” Yama booms out and vanishes into the purpling sky. The parley has stunned me. The world of color holds me in thrall. I was dead. Yet, now I am not. A new path lies before me. Unwanted, unwelcome, I insist on principle. I close my eyes. Open them to stare at the medallion cupped in my hand—a golden-hued hand at once familiar and not—and know myself for a fool. I do want this. It’s what I am. Bastard-born. Rebel. Son. Husband. Father. Warlord. And protector. I fist the talisman, buoyed by its concrete warmth. This is who I am. I am the Soul Warrior.

    About the Author:

    Falguni Kothari is a New York-based South Asian author and an amateur Latin and Ballroom dance silver medalist with a semi-professional background in Indian Classical dance. She’s published in India in contemporary romance with global e-book availability; Bootie and the Beast (Harlequin Mills and Boon) and It’s Your Move, Wordfreak! (Rupa & Co.), and launches a mythic fantasy series with Soul Warrior (The Age of Kali, #1)I’m embarrassed to admit how many social media accounts I own :

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Pinterest

[michaelchinworcester]

Donnie Yen: The Martial Artist Who Brought a Wing Chun Legend to Life in 3 Ip Man Movies

Donnie Yen first appeared on my radar 25 years ago, when his name often graced the pages of martial arts periodicals. I learned that Donnie Yen, the son of Boston-based wushu pioneer and Black Belt Hall of Famer Bow Sim Mark, stood out from his peers because of his strong stances and aesthetic postures, which helped him dominate the competition at martial arts tournaments.

In part because he longed to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen decided to try his hand at action films. Like Bruce Lee, he opted to return to southern China, where he found work as a stuntman in Hong Kong. Donnie Yen quickly leveled up to starring roles, commanding the screen opposite Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) and as hung gar kung fu master Wong Kei-Ying in Iron Monkey (1993). (The movie found U.S. distribution in 2001 thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Miramax.)

With hit after hit under his belt, Donnie Yen built himself into one of Asia’s most bankable actors. In 2008 he landed what would be his heaviest role to date: playing wing chun grandmaster Yip Man in Ip Man. (The Chinese family name Yip can be Romanized as Yip or Ip. In this article, I will use “Ip Man” to refer to the movie and “Yip Man” to refer to the man.)

Portraying the martial artist who was Bruce Lee’s master didn’t come without immense pressure and criticism, but the movie’s box-office performance and the rabid following it generated online proved the naysayers wrong — and set the stage for two sequels.

When the publicity tour for the latest film, Ip Man 3, brought Donnie Yen and co-star Mike Tyson to Los Angeles, I got an opportunity to interview Yen and hear about the struggles, triumphs, insights and visions that make up his life. Bearing a gift from my teacher, Black Belt Hall of Fame member Dan Inosanto, I entered the room, hoping for a good conversation. What I got was a great interview with a man who’s humble, hardworking and still hungry for higher achievements.

***

It’s an honor to finally meet you. I have a gift for you from someone you might have heard of: Dan Inosanto.

Donnie Yen: Wow! Thank you so much. I’ve heard so much about him and followed his career for years, but I never had the opportunity to meet him in person. Please thank him for me.

I spoke to him just before coming here, and he’s a huge fan of yours. Not only does he love your movies, but he also had high praise, saying that Bruce Lee would’ve been pleased with your work had he lived to see it.

Donnie Yen: That’s overwhelming. Please thank sifu Inosanto for me. [He tells his wife and his manager excitedly in Cantonese that Dan Inosanto was the training partner, best friend and top student of Bruce Lee.]

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I always wanted to study Filipino kali from him. I’ve been a Bruce Lee fan ever since I was a kid, and as you probably know, I did an homage to him by reprising the role of Chen Zhen (whom Lee portrayed in Fist of Fury) in a TV series and feature film.

Absolutely. Your performance in Legend of the Fist is one of my favorites.

Donnie Yen: It’s funny … people asked me whether I knew that Bruce Lee had already done that role. The whole point of me doing those movies and playing those roles was out of respect to Bruce Lee — as a way of showing how much he inspired me in my career.

I could never be Bruce Lee. Nobody can. Nor could I imitate him in a way that would do him or the role justice. But just paying tribute to him with those roles was huge for me. I’ve always said that if Bruce was still alive, I’d have become his most devoted student.

How did that weigh on you when you were offered a chance to portray Yip Man?

Donnie Yen: The pressure was huge, and it came from a variety of angles, too. Let me share a bit of background with you. The first time I got a call to play the role of Yip Man was a couple of decades ago, but that movie never got made due to problems with the film’s backers. Years later, I was at a press conference in Beijing and got another call from a producer, saying that they’d spoken to grandmaster Yip’s family, gotten their blessing, were going to make a movie on him and wanted to cast me in the lead.

But there was already a film about Yip Man (The Grandmaster, starring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi) that the famous director Wong Kar-Wai was going to direct. I asked about that, but the producer said not to worry since Wong has a reputation for taking his time on projects. Even though we were going to involve the same namesake character, they would tell their story and we would tell ours.

When the public got word that we were going to do Ip Man, people in the entertainment industry started drawing lines and picking sides. Critics claimed that our director Wilson Yip wasn’t qualified to direct a project of that magnitude. At that time, I’d just finished police movies like SPL: Kill Zone and Flash Point, which had a ton of over-the-top action sequences and MMA-based fight choreography. Those movies and Special Identity were the first Hong Kong action movies to take MMA grappling techniques and communicate them in a cinematic language. So critics also said that I wasn’t suitable for the role of grandmaster Yip or to showcase wing chun cinematically.

All this even before you started shooting?

Donnie Yen: Yes. I never expected there to be so many doubters, even though I knew this to be an iconic role.

Preparing for a role like that must have been different, considering your extensive martial arts background. What was your foundational training in with your mother? Was it modern wushu?

Donnie Yen: No, it was traditional Shaolin kung fu and then tai chi, but my tai chi is a little different. My mother’s master Fu Wing-Fay had a different style, and I’ve added my own flavor to my tai chi.

Growing up in Boston, did you get to experiment with different martial arts?

Donnie Yen: When I was a kid running around Chinatown, hung gar was really big, really popular. I used to study the old Lam Sai-Wing books on hung gar with the line drawings and practice those stances and postures. But back then, I was so curious and excited to learn martial arts from any source, regardless of style. I just wanted to absorb as much as I could. I’m still that way when I see something I like.

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Did you get any formal wing chun training back then?

Donnie Yen: Unfortunately, I did not. But there was one kid that knew a little bit, and we’d skip school and train in the park together, sparring and practicing techniques on each other. Back then, I was just trying to learn moves from the different styles and systems, including taekwondo — not just Chinese martial arts.

You mentioned Bruce Lee as a source of inspiration. Did you watch other kung fu flicks?

Donnie Yen: Oh, yeah. I was a big fan of those movies as a kid. I’d see some move that I thought was cool or some character that inspired me, and I’d try to imitate them physically or philosophically.

When it came time to prep for Ip Man, I understand that you spent time with both of Yip Man’s sons.

Donnie Yen: I actually spent a lot of time studying Yip Man’s personal story in terms of his history and background, not just studying wing chun. To get as close as I could to the source, I spent time with his sons, listening to them talk about their father, their family life and their art. I even went to Futsan (Foshan, China) to see where he lived.

Were the Yip brothers your technical trainers for the movie?

Donnie Yen: I actually had a bunch of different wing chun trainers to help me learn the forms and the basic drills, like the lap sau and chee sau (sticky hands) drills. The big thing they helped me with was learning the forms. I didn’t have three years to devote to mastering wing chun, so I could only try to embody the mindset and philosophy.

So there wasn’t just one master who oversaw all your training?

Donnie Yen: No. I didn’t want to try to be a clone of any one sifu. I knew that I could never imitate grandmaster Yip Man perfectly. I could only do the role justice by offering my interpretation of his philosophy in movement. Actually, studying the old black-and-white films of grandmaster Yip was very valuable. If there was one source that I tried to draw on most, that was it.

I also tried to get a sense of Yip Man’s movement and personality from his students outside the family. I actually used social media a lot to see how the different groups interpreted wing chun. It was very interesting. It gave me a chance to see how different wing chun people expressed the system physically and strategically. From the super-traditional to the more modern and aggressive versions, I wanted to get a broader view of what direction people were taking the art. All that figured into how I moved and how I portrayed the character. Luckily, the public reacted well to it.

There seem to be some signature moves in the fight scenes throughout the Ip Man franchise.

Donnie Yen: You see a lot of the mun sau posture from Yip Man because it fits [him]. He was originally from a well-to-do family, scholarly, very reserved. Wing chun is also a physically conservative style. You’re not going to see a lot of flash or wasted movement. So making the action exciting meant that the fight scenes had to educate the audience in a way that made those more efficient movements visually appealing.

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In Ip Man 3, as in the two previous movies, there’s a strong thematic element of family. There’s a push-pull that’s evident between Yip Man and his family in which he’s pulled out of involvement in some aspects of the martial arts while being motivated to accomplish more as a martial artist because of them. Is this a bit of art imitating life with you?

Donnie Yen: Absolutely! As you can see, my wife Cecilia is here in the room with us, as she’s also my business partner, but I absolutely know how that goes. Luckily, my wife sees everything I go through. She understands me and what I need to do.

For an actor to really nail the character, he has to live through something similar to be able to call on that kind of emotion and bring it to life for the camera. If you’ve never been through something, you won’t have the same depth of experience to be able to share on-screen.

What’s smart about Wilson Yip, the director of the Ip Man movies, is that he not only understands filmmaking but he understood what kind of stages I was going through in my personal life. So he wasn’t just creating another role for me to play. He made it so that I could bring something special to the character as it was written and the character would allow me to express those aspects of myself, as well. I can’t tell you how precious that kind of work environment is in acting.

After you did Ip Man and Ip Man 2, did the wing chun world give you any special status?

Donnie Yen: Look, I come from a traditional martial arts household, so I know how it goes with status. [chuckling] I don’t care about seeking status in martial arts from my films. Like if you asked me to teach you wing chun, I’m not the guy who’s a wing chun master. There are many other people who’ve devoted their lives to learning, researching and developing wing chun. Those are the wing chun masters, not me.

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What’s important to me is that authentic, traditional martial arts were overlooked for years in favor of making more exciting action films. But now that audiences are more educated and can recognize traditional martial arts, it’s more important than ever for me to portray these arts and the personalities around them with a certain dignity that’s appropriate. The fight scenes have to convey a sense of realism, as well as communicate the principles of the styles that are portrayed.

When the movie does well and inspires people to do more with their lives, that’s the reward for me. With the Ip Man movies, it’s not about what I did for wing chun; it’s about focusing on a character that inspires people. It’s not about wing chun versus this style or that style anymore.

Last question: I heard a rumor that you were phasing out martial arts films. What’s the scoop with that?

Donnie Yen: I’m human. Sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment. For me, there have been days when my body is just tired of the beating that I put it through in a high-powered, high-intensity action flick. But at the end of the day, if I sit down and watch TV or see an action sequence on the screen and think, “Oh, come on! That’s it? I can do better than that!” then it stirs that competitive spirit. I’m an actor, but inside I’m also a fighter.

As for kung fu movies, I don’t really have as much motivation to conquer anything more, especially after doing roles from Guan Yun-Chang in The Lost Bladesman to the Ip Man franchise. But especially when it comes to contemporary fight scenes, I feel like there’s a lot of knowledge about using martial arts and cinematic techniques in harmony that I still have left to show, that I still want to show.

Dr. Mark Cheng is a Black Belt contributing editor and doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. In his free time, he teaches shuai chiao, tai chi and kettlebells.

Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://ift.tt/2ntC3Ef via Michael Chin Worcester Systema

[oodlyenough]

kali watches iron fist so you don’t have to

alright, i finished iron fist

it ended up being bad enough that i fell behind in the recaps, in part because i got busy writing fic that i actually wanted to write and in part because it became intensely difficult to follow the meandering, boring plot

here are some overall thoughts:

there was this amazinglarious sequence that was straight out of a video game where danny had to fight, like, 5 mini-bosses in order to get to madam gao, who then presented him with the Telltale-esque choice of “capture me or save the hostage”. (he chose to save the hostage.)

i think in my last review i had said ward was becoming the most interesting character, which is a pathetic state of affairs. i think that remained true for the rest of the show. a quick look at AO3 reveals he is indeed the Chosen White Man of the show, as pretty much all fic features him in some capacity. he ended up getting the vague redemption-y arc that i thought for sure they’d give to ivanka joy. i am not gonna go to bat for ward meachum or write fic or probably ever think about him again after i finish writing this paragraph, but tragically i did end up finding him more compelling than pretty much anyone else

turns out colleen is a member of the hand. she believes the hand is good, that there are different factions and hers is working for Justice and Gao’s is an aberration. danny is betrayed and outraged. they fight about it for all of about two episodes. colleen learns she was wrong about the hand. womp womp. she has a showdown with her former sensei over it.

one of danny’s friends from k’un lun resents that danny, a shitty white boy, was chosen as the iron fist, and that danny isn’t killing enough people or living in k’un lun like he should. this honestly all seemed like reasonable criticism to me, because if danny himself doesn’t want to kill people etc then why did he become this stupid Protector of the Realm role. ugh. anyway. 

jeri hogarth was deeply enjoyable in this show, mostly because she was so #done with everything and so was i

the Big Reveal in this that sends danny over the edge in the last episodes is that harold meachum is a dick who killed danny’s parents. we, the audience, have known harold meachum was a huge dick since literally the first episode we met harold meachum, so having this supposed emotional reveal was not very rewarding. the final episode becomes “does danny revenge-kill harold or not?” colleen, claire and danny debate the morality of murder for justice. danny thinks it is the only way he can cope. colleen says danny killing harold will corrupt his chi.... which is why she will kill harold for him. claire thinks they’re both stupid motherfuckers. 

in the end it is ward who shoots harold. he and danny have this weird moment together at the crematorium afterwards where ward is like HA HA NOW THAT MY DAD I DEAD WHO WILL I BLAME FOR MY FAILURES and danny 

joy becomes a big bad for season 2, i think? we see her meeting with one of danny’s many enemies and discussing how he needs to be eliminated. i was surprised they didn’t redeem her, as they never seemed properly committed to her being terrible and she is routinely horrified by what her dad did, but given that she DID auction off a man’s liver in an early episode i suppose that works

they have a scene where, to demonstrate harold’s increasing instability and violence, he invites his weird manservant to come eat ice cream with him, because the manservant mentioned that he liked ice cream. harold bought like, 50 artisinal flavours of ice cream! the manservant is so flattered. but he asks if there is any vanilla, because vanilla is his favourite. harold, having bought only the finest of pretentious flavours, doesn’t have vanilla, is offended by the request, and murders the manservant immediately. 

danny is supposed to have... i don’t want to label it necessarily but i suppose PTSD or something similar about his parents’ deaths, and we see that he essentially gets triggered and goes into a kind of anxious rage every so often. i don’t have an issue with this on the surface, i guess, but i found it all... uh... very poorly acted and directed. finn jones can’t really carry it, unless he was intending to play it like a child having a tantrum, in which case mission accomplished. and the director chose to do this weird light flashy thing whenever it happened and it was just distracting? 

a lot of the dialogue in this show was so on-the-nose. colleen and danny’s whole relationship is meant to be a relationship of two people who are too similar for their own good ... which we have claire say explicitly. colleen and danny are supposed to both wear masks of “bravado” -- which is a weird way to describe danny, who is if anything a very heart-on-his-sleeve kinda guy, not a bravado dude at all. but whatever. anyway, sad lonely orphans colleen and danny finding a family in each other SHOULD be a trope i like -- god knows i love found families -- but the combination of writing and execution and everything has it falling flat. in fact, in the last episode danny says almost verbatim to colleen that “ever since i lost my parents i’ve been looking for a family and now i have you :)”... it’s just so, well, on-the-nose. after 13 episodes i should know that is what danny and colleen find in each other without the show underlining it quite so explicitly. 

now that i’m reflecting on the whole season, aside from a brief subplot involving madam gao’s heroin which danny sort of temporarily puts a halt to (i say temporarily, because matt did the same in DD s1, and here we are), there wasn’t much of a Greater Good fight in this show. the only greater good fight we have is that we are meant to accept the Hand is bad news and therefore danny fighting them is good. but the people we see targetted by the Hand are mainly just people within danny’s immediate circle -- the meachums, really, and danny himself, and danny’s dead parents. it’s not the same as matt fighting to protect his neighborhood, jessica taking down kilgrave who tormented her and countless other people -- everyone in his path, really, or luke defending harlem and trying to free it from the shadow of crime bosses. danny fights to... free his parents’ business and to avenge his parents’ deaths. 

maybe there’s a place for that, i guess, just a personal struggle story, but this... was not a successful one, i think. jessica jones was very much about jessica’s personal demons as much as it was about jessica becoming a hero. there’s a lot of talk of danny wrestling with his purpose as Iron Fist and whether or not he is a “good” iron fist, et cetera, but the stakes are basically “does danny feel good about himself y/n”, and ESPECIALLY which such a bland character, that’s just not high enough stakes for me to care. 

overall this show was just not good and i am glad it is over.

[johnbattlesca]

Donnie Yen: The Martial Artist Who Brought a Wing Chun Legend to Life in 3 Ip Man Movies

Donnie Yen first appeared on my radar 25 years ago, when his name often graced the pages of martial arts periodicals. I learned that Donnie Yen, the son of Boston-based wushu pioneer and Black Belt Hall of Famer Bow Sim Mark, stood out from his peers because of his strong stances and aesthetic postures, which helped him dominate the competition at martial arts tournaments.

In part because he longed to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen decided to try his hand at action films. Like Bruce Lee, he opted to return to southern China, where he found work as a stuntman in Hong Kong. Donnie Yen quickly leveled up to starring roles, commanding the screen opposite Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) and as hung gar kung fu master Wong Kei-Ying in Iron Monkey (1993). (The movie found U.S. distribution in 2001 thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Miramax.)

With hit after hit under his belt, Donnie Yen built himself into one of Asia’s most bankable actors. In 2008 he landed what would be his heaviest role to date: playing wing chun grandmaster Yip Man in Ip Man. (The Chinese family name Yip can be Romanized as Yip or Ip. In this article, I will use “Ip Man” to refer to the movie and “Yip Man” to refer to the man.)

Portraying the martial artist who was Bruce Lee’s master didn’t come without immense pressure and criticism, but the movie’s box-office performance and the rabid following it generated online proved the naysayers wrong — and set the stage for two sequels.

When the publicity tour for the latest film, Ip Man 3, brought Donnie Yen and co-star Mike Tyson to Los Angeles, I got an opportunity to interview Yen and hear about the struggles, triumphs, insights and visions that make up his life. Bearing a gift from my teacher, Black Belt Hall of Fame member Dan Inosanto, I entered the room, hoping for a good conversation. What I got was a great interview with a man who’s humble, hardworking and still hungry for higher achievements.

***

It’s an honor to finally meet you. I have a gift for you from someone you might have heard of: Dan Inosanto.

Donnie Yen: Wow! Thank you so much. I’ve heard so much about him and followed his career for years, but I never had the opportunity to meet him in person. Please thank him for me.

I spoke to him just before coming here, and he’s a huge fan of yours. Not only does he love your movies, but he also had high praise, saying that Bruce Lee would’ve been pleased with your work had he lived to see it.

Donnie Yen: That’s overwhelming. Please thank sifu Inosanto for me. [He tells his wife and his manager excitedly in Cantonese that Dan Inosanto was the training partner, best friend and top student of Bruce Lee.]

Go to Amazon now to get your copy of the Bruce Lee classic Tao of Jeet Kune Do: New Expanded Edition!

I always wanted to study Filipino kali from him. I’ve been a Bruce Lee fan ever since I was a kid, and as you probably know, I did an homage to him by reprising the role of Chen Zhen (whom Lee portrayed in Fist of Fury) in a TV series and feature film.

Absolutely. Your performance in Legend of the Fist is one of my favorites.

Donnie Yen: It’s funny … people asked me whether I knew that Bruce Lee had already done that role. The whole point of me doing those movies and playing those roles was out of respect to Bruce Lee — as a way of showing how much he inspired me in my career.

I could never be Bruce Lee. Nobody can. Nor could I imitate him in a way that would do him or the role justice. But just paying tribute to him with those roles was huge for me. I’ve always said that if Bruce was still alive, I’d have become his most devoted student.

How did that weigh on you when you were offered a chance to portray Yip Man?

Donnie Yen: The pressure was huge, and it came from a variety of angles, too. Let me share a bit of background with you. The first time I got a call to play the role of Yip Man was a couple of decades ago, but that movie never got made due to problems with the film’s backers. Years later, I was at a press conference in Beijing and got another call from a producer, saying that they’d spoken to grandmaster Yip’s family, gotten their blessing, were going to make a movie on him and wanted to cast me in the lead.

But there was already a film about Yip Man (The Grandmaster, starring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi) that the famous director Wong Kar-Wai was going to direct. I asked about that, but the producer said not to worry since Wong has a reputation for taking his time on projects. Even though we were going to involve the same namesake character, they would tell their story and we would tell ours.

When the public got word that we were going to do Ip Man, people in the entertainment industry started drawing lines and picking sides. Critics claimed that our director Wilson Yip wasn’t qualified to direct a project of that magnitude. At that time, I’d just finished police movies like SPL: Kill Zone and Flash Point, which had a ton of over-the-top action sequences and MMA-based fight choreography. Those movies and Special Identity were the first Hong Kong action movies to take MMA grappling techniques and communicate them in a cinematic language. So critics also said that I wasn’t suitable for the role of grandmaster Yip or to showcase wing chun cinematically.

All this even before you started shooting?

Donnie Yen: Yes. I never expected there to be so many doubters, even though I knew this to be an iconic role.

Preparing for a role like that must have been different, considering your extensive martial arts background. What was your foundational training in with your mother? Was it modern wushu?

Donnie Yen: No, it was traditional Shaolin kung fu and then tai chi, but my tai chi is a little different. My mother’s master Fu Wing-Fay had a different style, and I’ve added my own flavor to my tai chi.

Growing up in Boston, did you get to experiment with different martial arts?

Donnie Yen: When I was a kid running around Chinatown, hung gar was really big, really popular. I used to study the old Lam Sai-Wing books on hung gar with the line drawings and practice those stances and postures. But back then, I was so curious and excited to learn martial arts from any source, regardless of style. I just wanted to absorb as much as I could. I’m still that way when I see something I like.

Wang Bo, formerly of Shaolin Temple, is the featured instructor in an online kung fu course from Black Belt. Titled Tree of Shaolin, it streams video lessons to your preferred digital device. Sign up here and start your journey along the 1,500-year-old Shaolin path!

Did you get any formal wing chun training back then?

Donnie Yen: Unfortunately, I did not. But there was one kid that knew a little bit, and we’d skip school and train in the park together, sparring and practicing techniques on each other. Back then, I was just trying to learn moves from the different styles and systems, including taekwondo — not just Chinese martial arts.

You mentioned Bruce Lee as a source of inspiration. Did you watch other kung fu flicks?

Donnie Yen: Oh, yeah. I was a big fan of those movies as a kid. I’d see some move that I thought was cool or some character that inspired me, and I’d try to imitate them physically or philosophically.

When it came time to prep for Ip Man, I understand that you spent time with both of Yip Man’s sons.

Donnie Yen: I actually spent a lot of time studying Yip Man’s personal story in terms of his history and background, not just studying wing chun. To get as close as I could to the source, I spent time with his sons, listening to them talk about their father, their family life and their art. I even went to Futsan (Foshan, China) to see where he lived.

Were the Yip brothers your technical trainers for the movie?

Donnie Yen: I actually had a bunch of different wing chun trainers to help me learn the forms and the basic drills, like the lap sau and chee sau (sticky hands) drills. The big thing they helped me with was learning the forms. I didn’t have three years to devote to mastering wing chun, so I could only try to embody the mindset and philosophy.

So there wasn’t just one master who oversaw all your training?

Donnie Yen: No. I didn’t want to try to be a clone of any one sifu. I knew that I could never imitate grandmaster Yip Man perfectly. I could only do the role justice by offering my interpretation of his philosophy in movement. Actually, studying the old black-and-white films of grandmaster Yip was very valuable. If there was one source that I tried to draw on most, that was it.

I also tried to get a sense of Yip Man’s movement and personality from his students outside the family. I actually used social media a lot to see how the different groups interpreted wing chun. It was very interesting. It gave me a chance to see how different wing chun people expressed the system physically and strategically. From the super-traditional to the more modern and aggressive versions, I wanted to get a broader view of what direction people were taking the art. All that figured into how I moved and how I portrayed the character. Luckily, the public reacted well to it.

There seem to be some signature moves in the fight scenes throughout the Ip Man franchise.

Donnie Yen: You see a lot of the mun sau posture from Yip Man because it fits [him]. He was originally from a well-to-do family, scholarly, very reserved. Wing chun is also a physically conservative style. You’re not going to see a lot of flash or wasted movement. So making the action exciting meant that the fight scenes had to educate the audience in a way that made those more efficient movements visually appealing.

The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films Loaded with Action, Weapons & Warriors, by Dr. Craig D. Reid. On sale now at Amazon!

In Ip Man 3, as in the two previous movies, there’s a strong thematic element of family. There’s a push-pull that’s evident between Yip Man and his family in which he’s pulled out of involvement in some aspects of the martial arts while being motivated to accomplish more as a martial artist because of them. Is this a bit of art imitating life with you?

Donnie Yen: Absolutely! As you can see, my wife Cecilia is here in the room with us, as she’s also my business partner, but I absolutely know how that goes. Luckily, my wife sees everything I go through. She understands me and what I need to do.

For an actor to really nail the character, he has to live through something similar to be able to call on that kind of emotion and bring it to life for the camera. If you’ve never been through something, you won’t have the same depth of experience to be able to share on-screen.

What’s smart about Wilson Yip, the director of the Ip Man movies, is that he not only understands filmmaking but he understood what kind of stages I was going through in my personal life. So he wasn’t just creating another role for me to play. He made it so that I could bring something special to the character as it was written and the character would allow me to express those aspects of myself, as well. I can’t tell you how precious that kind of work environment is in acting.

After you did Ip Man and Ip Man 2, did the wing chun world give you any special status?

Donnie Yen: Look, I come from a traditional martial arts household, so I know how it goes with status. [chuckling] I don’t care about seeking status in martial arts from my films. Like if you asked me to teach you wing chun, I’m not the guy who’s a wing chun master. There are many other people who’ve devoted their lives to learning, researching and developing wing chun. Those are the wing chun masters, not me.

Silat for the Street is the title of an online course from Black Belt Hall of Famer Burton Richardson and Black Belt magazine. Now you can learn the most functional silat techniques whenever and wherever you want on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Get more info here!

What’s important to me is that authentic, traditional martial arts were overlooked for years in favor of making more exciting action films. But now that audiences are more educated and can recognize traditional martial arts, it’s more important than ever for me to portray these arts and the personalities around them with a certain dignity that’s appropriate. The fight scenes have to convey a sense of realism, as well as communicate the principles of the styles that are portrayed.

When the movie does well and inspires people to do more with their lives, that’s the reward for me. With the Ip Man movies, it’s not about what I did for wing chun; it’s about focusing on a character that inspires people. It’s not about wing chun versus this style or that style anymore.

Last question: I heard a rumor that you were phasing out martial arts films. What’s the scoop with that?

Donnie Yen: I’m human. Sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment. For me, there have been days when my body is just tired of the beating that I put it through in a high-powered, high-intensity action flick. But at the end of the day, if I sit down and watch TV or see an action sequence on the screen and think, “Oh, come on! That’s it? I can do better than that!” then it stirs that competitive spirit. I’m an actor, but inside I’m also a fighter.

As for kung fu movies, I don’t really have as much motivation to conquer anything more, especially after doing roles from Guan Yun-Chang in The Lost Bladesman to the Ip Man franchise. But especially when it comes to contemporary fight scenes, I feel like there’s a lot of knowledge about using martial arts and cinematic techniques in harmony that I still have left to show, that I still want to show.

Dr. Mark Cheng is a Black Belt contributing editor and doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. In his free time, he teaches shuai chiao, tai chi and kettlebells.

Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/martial-arts-entertainment/martial-art-movies/donnie-yen-the-martial-artist-who-brought-a-wing-chun-legend-to-life-in-3-ip-man-movies/ Donnie Yen: The Martial Artist Who Brought a Wing Chun Legend to Life in 3 Ip Man Movies published first on http://thrandythefabulous.tumblr.com

[thrandythefabulous]

Donnie Yen: The Martial Artist Who Brought a Wing Chun Legend to Life in 3 Ip Man Movies

Donnie Yen first appeared on my radar 25 years ago, when his name often graced the pages of martial arts periodicals. I learned that Donnie Yen, the son of Boston-based wushu pioneer and Black Belt Hall of Famer Bow Sim Mark, stood out from his peers because of his strong stances and aesthetic postures, which helped him dominate the competition at martial arts tournaments.

In part because he longed to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen decided to try his hand at action films. Like Bruce Lee, he opted to return to southern China, where he found work as a stuntman in Hong Kong. Donnie Yen quickly leveled up to starring roles, commanding the screen opposite Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) and as hung gar kung fu master Wong Kei-Ying in Iron Monkey (1993). (The movie found U.S. distribution in 2001 thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Miramax.)

With hit after hit under his belt, Donnie Yen built himself into one of Asia’s most bankable actors. In 2008 he landed what would be his heaviest role to date: playing wing chun grandmaster Yip Man in Ip Man. (The Chinese family name Yip can be Romanized as Yip or Ip. In this article, I will use “Ip Man” to refer to the movie and “Yip Man” to refer to the man.)

Portraying the martial artist who was Bruce Lee’s master didn’t come without immense pressure and criticism, but the movie’s box-office performance and the rabid following it generated online proved the naysayers wrong — and set the stage for two sequels.

When the publicity tour for the latest film, Ip Man 3, brought Donnie Yen and co-star Mike Tyson to Los Angeles, I got an opportunity to interview Yen and hear about the struggles, triumphs, insights and visions that make up his life. Bearing a gift from my teacher, Black Belt Hall of Fame member Dan Inosanto, I entered the room, hoping for a good conversation. What I got was a great interview with a man who’s humble, hardworking and still hungry for higher achievements.

***

It’s an honor to finally meet you. I have a gift for you from someone you might have heard of: Dan Inosanto.

Donnie Yen: Wow! Thank you so much. I’ve heard so much about him and followed his career for years, but I never had the opportunity to meet him in person. Please thank him for me.

I spoke to him just before coming here, and he’s a huge fan of yours. Not only does he love your movies, but he also had high praise, saying that Bruce Lee would’ve been pleased with your work had he lived to see it.

Donnie Yen: That’s overwhelming. Please thank sifu Inosanto for me. [He tells his wife and his manager excitedly in Cantonese that Dan Inosanto was the training partner, best friend and top student of Bruce Lee.]

Go to Amazon now to get your copy of the Bruce Lee classic Tao of Jeet Kune Do: New Expanded Edition!

I always wanted to study Filipino kali from him. I’ve been a Bruce Lee fan ever since I was a kid, and as you probably know, I did an homage to him by reprising the role of Chen Zhen (whom Lee portrayed in Fist of Fury) in a TV series and feature film.

Absolutely. Your performance in Legend of the Fist is one of my favorites.

Donnie Yen: It’s funny … people asked me whether I knew that Bruce Lee had already done that role. The whole point of me doing those movies and playing those roles was out of respect to Bruce Lee — as a way of showing how much he inspired me in my career.

I could never be Bruce Lee. Nobody can. Nor could I imitate him in a way that would do him or the role justice. But just paying tribute to him with those roles was huge for me. I’ve always said that if Bruce was still alive, I’d have become his most devoted student.

How did that weigh on you when you were offered a chance to portray Yip Man?

Donnie Yen: The pressure was huge, and it came from a variety of angles, too. Let me share a bit of background with you. The first time I got a call to play the role of Yip Man was a couple of decades ago, but that movie never got made due to problems with the film’s backers. Years later, I was at a press conference in Beijing and got another call from a producer, saying that they’d spoken to grandmaster Yip’s family, gotten their blessing, were going to make a movie on him and wanted to cast me in the lead.

But there was already a film about Yip Man (The Grandmaster, starring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi) that the famous director Wong Kar-Wai was going to direct. I asked about that, but the producer said not to worry since Wong has a reputation for taking his time on projects. Even though we were going to involve the same namesake character, they would tell their story and we would tell ours.

When the public got word that we were going to do Ip Man, people in the entertainment industry started drawing lines and picking sides. Critics claimed that our director Wilson Yip wasn’t qualified to direct a project of that magnitude. At that time, I’d just finished police movies like SPL: Kill Zone and Flash Point, which had a ton of over-the-top action sequences and MMA-based fight choreography. Those movies and Special Identity were the first Hong Kong action movies to take MMA grappling techniques and communicate them in a cinematic language. So critics also said that I wasn’t suitable for the role of grandmaster Yip or to showcase wing chun cinematically.

All this even before you started shooting?

Donnie Yen: Yes. I never expected there to be so many doubters, even though I knew this to be an iconic role.

Preparing for a role like that must have been different, considering your extensive martial arts background. What was your foundational training in with your mother? Was it modern wushu?

Donnie Yen: No, it was traditional Shaolin kung fu and then tai chi, but my tai chi is a little different. My mother’s master Fu Wing-Fay had a different style, and I’ve added my own flavor to my tai chi.

Growing up in Boston, did you get to experiment with different martial arts?

Donnie Yen: When I was a kid running around Chinatown, hung gar was really big, really popular. I used to study the old Lam Sai-Wing books on hung gar with the line drawings and practice those stances and postures. But back then, I was so curious and excited to learn martial arts from any source, regardless of style. I just wanted to absorb as much as I could. I’m still that way when I see something I like.

Wang Bo, formerly of Shaolin Temple, is the featured instructor in an online kung fu course from Black Belt. Titled Tree of Shaolin, it streams video lessons to your preferred digital device. Sign up here and start your journey along the 1,500-year-old Shaolin path!

Did you get any formal wing chun training back then?

Donnie Yen: Unfortunately, I did not. But there was one kid that knew a little bit, and we’d skip school and train in the park together, sparring and practicing techniques on each other. Back then, I was just trying to learn moves from the different styles and systems, including taekwondo — not just Chinese martial arts.

You mentioned Bruce Lee as a source of inspiration. Did you watch other kung fu flicks?

Donnie Yen: Oh, yeah. I was a big fan of those movies as a kid. I’d see some move that I thought was cool or some character that inspired me, and I’d try to imitate them physically or philosophically.

When it came time to prep for Ip Man, I understand that you spent time with both of Yip Man’s sons.

Donnie Yen: I actually spent a lot of time studying Yip Man’s personal story in terms of his history and background, not just studying wing chun. To get as close as I could to the source, I spent time with his sons, listening to them talk about their father, their family life and their art. I even went to Futsan (Foshan, China) to see where he lived.

Were the Yip brothers your technical trainers for the movie?

Donnie Yen: I actually had a bunch of different wing chun trainers to help me learn the forms and the basic drills, like the lap sau and chee sau (sticky hands) drills. The big thing they helped me with was learning the forms. I didn’t have three years to devote to mastering wing chun, so I could only try to embody the mindset and philosophy.

So there wasn’t just one master who oversaw all your training?

Donnie Yen: No. I didn’t want to try to be a clone of any one sifu. I knew that I could never imitate grandmaster Yip Man perfectly. I could only do the role justice by offering my interpretation of his philosophy in movement. Actually, studying the old black-and-white films of grandmaster Yip was very valuable. If there was one source that I tried to draw on most, that was it.

I also tried to get a sense of Yip Man’s movement and personality from his students outside the family. I actually used social media a lot to see how the different groups interpreted wing chun. It was very interesting. It gave me a chance to see how different wing chun people expressed the system physically and strategically. From the super-traditional to the more modern and aggressive versions, I wanted to get a broader view of what direction people were taking the art. All that figured into how I moved and how I portrayed the character. Luckily, the public reacted well to it.

There seem to be some signature moves in the fight scenes throughout the Ip Man franchise.

Donnie Yen: You see a lot of the mun sau posture from Yip Man because it fits [him]. He was originally from a well-to-do family, scholarly, very reserved. Wing chun is also a physically conservative style. You’re not going to see a lot of flash or wasted movement. So making the action exciting meant that the fight scenes had to educate the audience in a way that made those more efficient movements visually appealing.

The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films Loaded with Action, Weapons & Warriors, by Dr. Craig D. Reid. On sale now at Amazon!

In Ip Man 3, as in the two previous movies, there’s a strong thematic element of family. There’s a push-pull that’s evident between Yip Man and his family in which he’s pulled out of involvement in some aspects of the martial arts while being motivated to accomplish more as a martial artist because of them. Is this a bit of art imitating life with you?

Donnie Yen: Absolutely! As you can see, my wife Cecilia is here in the room with us, as she’s also my business partner, but I absolutely know how that goes. Luckily, my wife sees everything I go through. She understands me and what I need to do.

For an actor to really nail the character, he has to live through something similar to be able to call on that kind of emotion and bring it to life for the camera. If you’ve never been through something, you won’t have the same depth of experience to be able to share on-screen.

What’s smart about Wilson Yip, the director of the Ip Man movies, is that he not only understands filmmaking but he understood what kind of stages I was going through in my personal life. So he wasn’t just creating another role for me to play. He made it so that I could bring something special to the character as it was written and the character would allow me to express those aspects of myself, as well. I can’t tell you how precious that kind of work environment is in acting.

After you did Ip Man and Ip Man 2, did the wing chun world give you any special status?

Donnie Yen: Look, I come from a traditional martial arts household, so I know how it goes with status. [chuckling] I don’t care about seeking status in martial arts from my films. Like if you asked me to teach you wing chun, I’m not the guy who’s a wing chun master. There are many other people who’ve devoted their lives to learning, researching and developing wing chun. Those are the wing chun masters, not me.

Silat for the Street is the title of an online course from Black Belt Hall of Famer Burton Richardson and Black Belt magazine. Now you can learn the most functional silat techniques whenever and wherever you want on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Get more info here!

What’s important to me is that authentic, traditional martial arts were overlooked for years in favor of making more exciting action films. But now that audiences are more educated and can recognize traditional martial arts, it’s more important than ever for me to portray these arts and the personalities around them with a certain dignity that’s appropriate. The fight scenes have to convey a sense of realism, as well as communicate the principles of the styles that are portrayed.

When the movie does well and inspires people to do more with their lives, that’s the reward for me. With the Ip Man movies, it’s not about what I did for wing chun; it’s about focusing on a character that inspires people. It’s not about wing chun versus this style or that style anymore.

Last question: I heard a rumor that you were phasing out martial arts films. What’s the scoop with that?

Donnie Yen: I’m human. Sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment. For me, there have been days when my body is just tired of the beating that I put it through in a high-powered, high-intensity action flick. But at the end of the day, if I sit down and watch TV or see an action sequence on the screen and think, “Oh, come on! That’s it? I can do better than that!” then it stirs that competitive spirit. I’m an actor, but inside I’m also a fighter.

As for kung fu movies, I don’t really have as much motivation to conquer anything more, especially after doing roles from Guan Yun-Chang in The Lost Bladesman to the Ip Man franchise. But especially when it comes to contemporary fight scenes, I feel like there’s a lot of knowledge about using martial arts and cinematic techniques in harmony that I still have left to show, that I still want to show.

Dr. Mark Cheng is a Black Belt contributing editor and doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. In his free time, he teaches shuai chiao, tai chi and kettlebells.

Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/martial-arts-entertainment/martial-art-movies/donnie-yen-the-martial-artist-who-brought-a-wing-chun-legend-to-life-in-3-ip-man-movies/

[oodlyenough]

found my new reaction image for everything

[oodlyenough]

kali watches iron fist so you don’t have to: 1.01-1.03

i’m watching iron fist for two main reasons, the first being that i’m going to watch the defenders and i have a compulsive need to Know Everything, and the second combined reason being that i wanna see colleen and claire. that’s ... pretty much it. for the record, though, as much as i may have gone into this anticipating that i would not like it based on the reviews, it’s not like i actively want to hate it -- i would very much like to not be bored by all of danny’s stuff in defenders, i would much prefer to be invested in all 4 of the leads and to feel like this dude is worthy of hanging around jessica, matt and luke, all of whom i adore. 

but here we are. so. if you wanted to know the basics but don’t want to watch, episodes 1-3:

my first overall impression of this show is that the reviews were more or less correct: the characters aren’t that compelling, the pacing is boring, the fight scenes (there’s been... like...... 3 so far) are nothing special.

the cast of characters:

danny is probably supposed to be perceived as sweetly naive, but is mainly infuriatingly oblivious. he frequently ignores the requests of women and laughs at them when they express that they feel threatened by them. “i’m not dangerous!” he insists quite often for a guy who, when angry, lashes out violently.

when he first meets colleen, he speaks mandarin to her unprompted. yeah.

marvel is no stranger to the “white guy you hate to love” trope, so it’s weird how much they missed the mark with danny. like, on the face of it, he shouldn’t be that much less likable than someone like tony stark, and yet. And Yet. there’s just not a lot going on here: humour or charm or warmth or ...anything, really.

colleen wing runs a dojo and at this point really just wants to live her life but fucking danny won’t leave her alone. i like colleen, but so far she hasn’t been given a lot to do besides be shown up by danny, who explains dojo custom to her, shows her how to fight better (yes, really) and flagrantly ignores her wishes at every turn. she is at this point just about danny’s only ally. free her.

colleen also participates in a fight club where she wins money... because she uses the trick danny taught her. where would we be without him?

brother and sister dynamic duo ward & joy meachum used to be danny’s childhood “friends”, and i use air quotes because in the early flashbacks we see, “friend” is probably the wrong word. more accurately they were danny’s babysitters slash bullies.

ward is a moustache-twirling bully maybe 5 years danny’s senior who obviously gave danny swirlies. canonically we are told he used to lock danny in the freezer. we see a flashback of him playing monopoly with danny, where he angrily tells danny that his dad says “rules are for PUSSIES” and knocks the tokens off the board and then tattles to the parents that danny is misbehaving five seconds later.

joy is supposed to be the nice one, i guess. joy is actually pretty horrible in these 3 episodes, like everyone else on the show, but ostensibly she is “the nice meachum”, whereby nice means “doesn’t lock children in freezers, probably”. i suspect her arc will be learning her family secrets and defecting to some kind of redemption arc, but she literally auctions off a human being’s liver for political gain, so, that redemption is gonna be a tough sell.

henry or harry or something meachum is the patriarch puppetmaster of this horrible clan, and he is “dead”. except he isn’t dead, he lives in a secret penthouse that he can’t leave for fear of reprisal from the Hand, and only his son and his manservant know he’s alive. joy believes he is dead. why all of this is true is part of the mystery of the show, i think, but i also zone out every time henry and ward have scenes because they are both boring people, so it’s hard to say for sure.

jeri hogarth from jessica jones fame is a long-lost family friend of danny, and the first person to easily believe he is danny rand because he tells her some anecdotes from the start of her career as a law intern at rand enterprises. (rand... corp? rand co? whatever.) she puts danny up in a BEAUTIFUL apartment she just happens to have lying around. danny takes his high-threadcount sheet and sleeps on the floor.  

the basic plot of these episodes is this:

danny rand arrives in new york looking like he is homeless, walks into the giant building that bears his family name, and announces to everyone that this is his building and he is danny rand. no one believes him, because danny rand is supposed to have died 15 years ago, and also he seemingly hasn’t showered in, like, a decade. 

he decides the way to convince people of his real identity is to beat up a bunch of security guards and force his way into the building. at this point you see that it is a plot necessity for danny to be white, because if he was not white and, as a seemingly homeless person, attacked a bunch of rich people, he would probably already have been killed by police like 15 minutes into the pilot

he also breaks into someone’s house. 

nobody believes danny is danny. that is essentially the plot of the first 2 episodes in their entirety.

danny also spends the first two episodes living on the streets, by which i mean meditating under a tree in the in-between scenes. the local other homeless people reach out to him, and he has these weird moments of “haha oh i’m not actually one of you!!” and the other homeless people sort of pityingly tell him where he can get shoes.

he doesn’t wear shoes for like two episodes. everyone asks him to put on shoes: the meachums, colleen, fellow homeless people 

one of his homeless pals has an iphone (stolen) and explains that it will have data briefly before the original owner cancels the contract. danny’s first act confronted with the internet is to vanity google “danny rand”

through this he learns that everyone believes he died in the plane crash that killed his parents, and that his parents’ company, “Rand”, is now run by family friends the meachum siblings.

claiming to not believe him, the meachum siblings conspire to drug danny and send him to some kind of psych ward which seems to just kidnap homeless people, diagnose and drug them. what follows is about an episode’s worth of danny being strapped to a bed and drugged while we do the “i AM danny rand” “no you’re not” argument repeatedly.

this includes joy mailing him some M&Ms and danny mailing her back only the brown ones, which joy considers incontrovertible proof this is Really Danny, since apparently as children they both refused to eat brown M&Ms even though literally every colour of M&M tastes exactly the same. ward convinces her this is just a crazy coincidence~~~

i am assuming based on their treatment of danny, as well as the weird meachum-family livestream in the hospital rooms, that this hospital place isn’t legitimate, but its real raison d’etre has yet to be explained and may never be.

danny finally manages to balance his chi (really), which allows him to activtae his glow-y fist superpower and break out of the psych ward. he shows up at colleen’s house and somehow convinces her to let him stay the night, promising he’ll leave the next day.

some goons come looking for him, colleen kicks their asses, and the next day danny refuses to leave, because he needs to “protect” her. colleen says she doesn’t need protection, fuck you very much, and they have a friendly spar match to prove that Actually danny is better at martial arts than she is.

he promises to pay her a year’s worth of rent if she’ll just let him stay for one week. “you don’t have any money” says colleen to a man who hasn’t worn shoes in two episodes. “of course i have money i’m danny rand!!!” says danny, who i guess thinks he can just walk into any bank and demand a billion dollars on the honour system. colleen relents, because she wants money.

danny shows up at joy’s house to try and make nice with her, and what follows is kind of baffling. it was also obvious from the start that joy meachum thinks danny might actually be danny rand, and she feels sort of bad about how she and her brother conspire to kidnap, drug and gaslight him, yet her apology is... to offer him $40m to fuck off, change his name and never lay claim to his family’s corporation.

like, to be clear, danny is pretty uninteresting and not especially sympathetic on account of how he talks over all the women in his life and has no significant redeeming traits, but he’s still drugged and ends up held in a “psych ward” strapped to a bed and forcefed sedatives while everyone tells him he’s insane, and joy’s reaction to all of this is kind of a shrug, because she and her brother Worked Hard For The MoneyTM and don’t want to share it with some jackass who had the audacity to be in a plane crash as a child

danny steals a children’s craft he made for her when they were kids, lawyers up, and threatens to take them to court for his shares in the company. he then follows ward home, where he discovers that the meachum patriarch is actually still alive, right before being shoved out a window, Game of Thrones style.

RIP iron fist

it probably sounds like i’m kidding. that’s seriously what happens. if only the series just ended now.

[oodlyenough]

kali watches iron fist so you don’t have to: episode 1x04

the plot is getting slightly more complicated now that the plot isn’t “danny yells at people that he is danny rand”, so i’m gonna break it up ep by ep i think. 

episodes 1-3, if you missed it

the plot: 

when we last left our intrepid hero he was being pushed out of a window on the meachum house a la the first episode of game of thrones. this picks up with him miraculously catching on to some kind of pillar a few feet below, and then slipping off of that onto a balcony, so his death-defying fall is only a few feet

he wakes up with ward and harry meachum. harry does his whole transparently manipulative abusive father schitck by being like oH GOD DANNY YOU’RE ALIVE I’M SO GLAAAAAD WELCOME HOOOOME while ward glares in the corner. harry retells how he died of cancer but struck a deal with the sinister Hand, and they revived him but on the catch that he is indebted to them and can never leave his house or reveal that he is alive to anyone except, for some reason, his shitty son and his manservant.

he whines about how he hasn’t seen joy in ages and begs danny not to tell joy that he’s alive, which danny agrees to.. because... whatever.

he also insists that danny be given his rightful stake in Rand (a gajillion dollars and majority shareholder status), which really doesn’t sit well with jealous longsuffering firstborn ward.

so now danny is the majority shareholder of a company that he loves because he misses his dead dad but which he knows truly fuck-all about. rand wants to have him be a figurehead with no official position, just raking in the cash, but danny, who has presumably no business experience or market knowledge literally at all, wants to insert himself in everything, for some reason.

he barges into a board meeting and does one of the most embarassing things i’ve ever seen committed to screen, which is walk over to the one empty rolly chair, drag it painstakingly all the way across the room and then demand everyone budge up so he can sit next to joy. saklfhalwrhlawt the awkward, embarassing nature of this scene is the first time iron fist has truly nailed creating emotional resonance

turns out Rand is Big Pharma. they are discussing some new wonder drug they’ve developed that costs $5 a pill to make and they will sell it for $50 a dose. capitalism’s bad. danny is mad. “we should sell at cost!”

no, other people explain, we need to make a profit, and we funnel most of that money back into our research labs where we find these miracle cures, argues Big Pharma

KILLING PEOPLE IS BAD, FUCK TRUMP, SELL AT COST yells danny, and uses his majority shareholder status to make it so.

everyone is mad because they love money.

ward INEXPLICABLY decides the way to get back at danny is to leak this story to the press. Ward Meachum, Businessman Extraordinaire thinks a story in which his company wanted to make huge profit off the sick and danny rand demanded they sell drugs at cost, honest to god thought this would be good press for his company and bad press for danny. ?!?!?! surprise motherfucker?

(i think karen page writes the article but i’m not 100% sure. it was definitely not karen who came to interview him, which was disappointing.)

meanwhile, danny and joy are friends again! turns out danny didn’t STEAL the craft that had his fingerprint on it, joy gave it to him. awww she’s nice now!! buddies! ?????!

i feel like i in the audience am the only one mad about danny’s trip to “hospital”. i don’t even like the dude, really, but what happened to him there was horrific and everyone’s just fine with it??? danny doesn’t care? joy feels no particular guilt and never even properly apologized for it??? WHAT IS GOING ON. THEY STRAPPED YOU TO A BED AND DRUGGED YOU OH MY GOD

anyway, danny tells his new bestie joy some horrific story about a “job” he really wanted (implied to be the “job” of being the iron fist, whatever that means) and how he had to work for years and it involved monks beating him up, like, all the time.

“that sounds like abuse,” says joy, who can recognize abuse in some contexts. just not at a pretend hospital.

joy goes to ... the hallway for some reason and gets jumped by a bunch of ninjas with hatchets. for real. danny, of course, rescues her, then he takes her to colleen’s place for safety 

CAN COLLEEN PLEASE LIVE??!?! WILL THESE RICH WHITE PEOPLE LET HER LIVE

anyway, he ditches joy on colleen and goes to find the people who attacked joy, which is apparently a triad called “the hatchet men”??? very literal, i guess they want brand recognition

the hatchet men are mad at joy because she, on behalf of Rand, bought out some pier that the hatchet men were using for some nefarious criminal purposes. danny explains that the Hand blackmailed Rand (god.......) into buying that pier, and please leave joy alone or i’ll make my fist glow and punch you

the hatchet men ... are fine with this. i mean, it is supposed to be that the hatchet men don’t wanna fuck with the hand, but lol

danny asks what they want with the pier, and what the hand wants with the pier, and the hatchet men hand him a little packet of heroin and then disappear into the shadows 

the characters:

no one new in this ep who is meaningful really

at this point in the show i find things are starting to get kind of... odd... with danny as a character. what he described IS obviously abuse, but we don’t see it, and we have no real context for it to make it emotional or compelling, and danny himself is cavalier about it, not even really in the ~hard exterior~ way, just. he doesn’t seem to have noticed. it sounds very similar to what we saw in daredevil with baby matt and stick, which is kind of an interesting comparison because i’d say daredevil was less consistent about portraying matt and stick’s relationship as abusive, yet emotionally i felt a lot more visceral “ugh no” than when danny’s describing his tribulations.

saving joy and demanding at-cost pricing is the first time danny has done anything that could be construed as charitable or not self-interested. it is starting to feel like they’re beginning to try with danny as a character, they’re just ....not succeeding. 

he has a lot to overcome in terms of the sympathy level of a white billionaire who corrects chinese people on their own culture, but they’re also just not hitting emotional beats that they could be hitting. it’s hard to put my finger on what exactly isn’t working. 

one of his biggest issues is that he continues to be a white man written by men, and thus his relationship with women is still fucked up in ways that the writers obviously don’t realize is fucked up

a good example is that now that he works at Rand, he has an assistant. he walks over to her and is like “hey you’re my assistant right? so does that mean you do whatever i tell you?”

obviously uncomfortable, she’s basically like no, it means i schedule your meetings. danny then LITERALLY asks “if i asked you to go buy me a box of fruit roll-ups, you’d have to, right?” to which the secretary is like “...........do you want a box of fruit roll-ups...?” 

but he doesn’t even want fruit roll-ups!!! he instead then veers course and asks what info she has about the pier deal. she explains she has none but can set up a meeting for him with someone who worked on the file. he nods and wanders away, handing her an origami post-it flower, and she seems charmed. 

WHAT THE FUCK @ all of that. it was the weirdest goddamn scene. his actual request (info about the pier) makes total sense, so why did he (the writers) cloud it in this weird gender dynamic? why did he start by making her uncomfortable? why did he come up with an absurd fetch-and-carry quest he didn’t even want her to do? what the fuck is happening?

joy is obviously meant to be sympathetic by now, as i expected, but she’s kind of a monster? i don’t know. i can’t get over how she 1) participated in institutionalizing danny, but more importantly 2) DID NOT EVEN CARE LMAO LIKE WHAT THE FUCK. plus that scene where she auctioned off someone’s liver!!!!! i guess her giving him the craft was her absolution? but we didn’t even see it happen. i don’t know. 

colleen is doing very little besides helping out danny and going to fight clubs where she kicks ass. colleen taking on two huge men in a cage fight and breaking one’s arm was the most engaging fight scene on this show so far.