#v: wude

[warwaited]

“ you wanna talk now?” -Tony to Student!

She smiles slightly and shakes her head. Despite her injuries, she seems... almost proud of herself. No, she definitely seems proud of herself. She's walking a little taller than usual, chin held higher rather than the slight, tense hunch she's carried for just about as long as the boxer has known her.

The smile widens, and she tips her head in gratitude. "I do not think we will have to talk. For some time. Not about... what you wish to discuss, anyway. Let's say I've gotten it out of my system for the moment."

[warwaited]

"I don't really know what Americans like and "hamburger" felt... mean." She laughs, taking in a deep breath while she raises her hand and pushing it down as she lets it out. Both light and steady, both gleeful and serious. "There's a recipe for hot and sour soup that I have been trying to make work with me for some time now. Maybe once I get a proper handle on it, we can discuss things over a late meal."

It might feel like she was coming onto him if Xue wasn't also settling into an obvious combat stance. Different from what she usually takes at a glance - rather than the grounded and steady footing she usually takes, now she's lighter on her feet. One hand is held low, the other high and open. A single roll of her higher wrist, and she nods once. "We already have some things to talk about after this, if you're willing. But for now? This will be a... an expression of skill. On both sides. I hope that you find this as fulfilling as I do."

And just like that, she's upon him. Most of the time, she makes him wait - lets him tire himself out against her guard, then marks his positioning, his footwork, the precision of his strikes. He's been getting better in all of them, but the feeling's persisted that it isn't what he's meant to be doing. She's working against a fighting style that already exists, and though the discipline she teaches doesn't technically have a name, it still has... expectations.

Now, he's getting to see it used to its fullest. She's fast. The floor is crossed in just a couple of steps, and rather than work with his offensive technique, she's barely letting him get a word in. Ducking to his sides, taking quick shots at his body and limbs.

"That's a relief."

Ah, good indeed-- potential! There's only a split second of change in his eyes as the instructor moves. As her hands shift to her waist, discarding that aggressive sash. He only shifts his gaze for a microsecond, from her sash to her hands-- then her eyes. Finally meeting her face, seeing that smile. A.... genuine smile. Something Jason hasn't been given in so, so long. She smiles as he talks, voice struggling to stay even, not peter out into his usual silence. Fights to stay there, standing lost in that doorway. Forced his feet to stay planted, not throw it all and flee from prolonged contact.

And then, she speaks.

Understands.

It feels like he's given up his queen in chess, and it was only a matter of time before she captured all his pieces, a slow but steady defeat staring him in the eye. Idly, he wonders what the feeling behind his heart is as he willingly steps forward to meet the woman on the sparring mat. Hands even at his sides, not even bothering to take off his hoodie. Maybe she'd make him regret his choice of leisure clothing. Maybe he'd learn something new. It felt positive, at least, swelling in his ribcage, but he's forgotten it's name. Grant would know. He was always better than Jason at almost anything they did. Keith might've told him he was thinking too much.

With a blink and a slight head shake, the warrior survivor clears his head. He hopes this is the right choice. Might've been easier to go home and lie down, stare at the ceiling like he usually did. Of course, any choice would be his own, though; and that's good enough. He follows.

"I was thinking about a triple double, actually. But sure. I like steak."

God, what he'd give for five minutes at an In-and-Out. The food here was good, but nothing was better than a heart attack in a warm foil wrapper back stateside. He'd just have to get past the hurdle of ordering.

A moment spent to stretch his arms, bouncing on his feet as he starts to circle like an animal. Form, keep your form. Don't make her regret noticing the improvement only to choke at the last second! Don't fuck it up! Don't--

A smirk. He's not sure how he recalls how to make his face twist, but it does. Half up, half down. Almost guilty, as if asking a parent for ice cream at 2am with no real expectation and actually being told to get in the car, don't tell mom.

"Is the kitchen still open?"

[syncogon]

rainbow sea 星游记 new movie!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RToCz1Arveo

heretoforth referred as rs3 because i called the first movie rs2 and bc i still dunno what to call 风暴法米拉

LET’S. FUCKING. GO.

(when i have no fellow english fans to talk to i have to make up for the lack of hype all by myself)

i thought the news was fake, i had to reread it to be sure, i could NOT believe that after 3 years they would just drop it on us with 0 warning!!!

the poster is... beautiful... i cri...... (please... more posters??) 

notice the silhouette of his dad in the bg too :0 

hang in there maidang bb fight off the darkness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RToCz1Arveo

the trailer/teaser wasn’t directly linked in the announcement posts, but!! i found it!! and it’s also really good and made me exponentially more hype!! because i’m me i’m giving this the frame by frame analysis treatment.

when i saw this i couldn’t tell if this was an old scene redraw, or just an old scene, or a new scene... i think it’s a new scene? in the past they’ve been at a river and this looks like an ocean. but it’s so cute! look at baby maidang and how he’s sitting!

so cute..... baby...... don’t cry ;_; also i still love the eye styles in this show

:eyes: but also how the markings have spread aaa :(

ooh i forgot this was what... europa i think? looked like in this. it looks so cool 

go gudong! i hope he plays a more significant role / has more character moments

white eye??? mm i never figured out how i should spell his name. whiteye? white-eye? bc redeye looks nice as is but too many of the other pentachrome end in ‘e’, blue, purple (maybe violet)... maybe i should just call them baiyan hongyan etc... but yeah im also super hyped to actually see the other pentachrome in action!!! it been 9 years man let us see more of them! 

wondering what challenge this is. i hope this competition is more than just straight up fights now haha

DIYA BEING BADASS! HER POWER IS SO COOL PLEASE LET HER USE IT WELL DIYA I LOVE YOU if i didn’t already have a new discord pfp from the poster i would totally use this screencap ngl

auroras also being badass!!! love his power too. GOD IM SUCH A SUCKER FOR CREATIVE AND CREATIVELY USED SUPERPOWERS ive been a superpower high since hh13 and also my qzgs superhero au and now this just keeps getting better!! wonder if we’ll get more char dev for him? please? more of him being embarrassed around diya? 呵呵

yeah this whole thing is really just me yelling huh 

MILONG MILONG MILONG MILONG MILONG MILONG MILONG MILONG

i’m going to cry

IT’S BEEN TOO LONG

WE WERE ROBBED OF YOU LAST MOVIE

I’M READY TO SEE YOU FIGHT AGAIN AND BE BADASS AFTER YOU HAD SOME SENSE KICKED INTO YOU

AND ALSO HEAR AH JIE’S WONDERFUL VOICE 

I’M GONNA CRY WHEN YOU APPEAR

WILL YOU HAVE NEW MOVES FOR US ooh actually i wonder if others will too

MILONGGGGGGG

wait since when did he have a knife/sword?

just some pics. fight scenes!

aaaaaaaa

sis boom rah

yo what’s with the ground here

it’s ya boi redeye!!! actually looking scared/shocked/alarmed!!! im so hyped to see him in action again??! kick his ass and save maidang!!! was auroras fighting him?? (man im kind of hoping to see tang wude again too but probably he’s still stuck on pluto sadd)

man i should do some screencap redraws tbh

aaaaaaa

i was super curious about the 3 figures here, but it might just be metaphorical - middle one is definitely redeye, other two look a bit like kela and kaliya

quiet sobbing

but yes im very very excited

hmmmm she wasn’t in this at all but i hope we get more of shu!!! (and her robot ofc.) theory of shu being milong’s long lost sister has so much support please let it be true. i gotta post that thing i wrote three years ago. (and the other rs things i wrote 3 years ago)

oh wait we didn’t see the guy that redeye reached out to at the end of last movie! the guy counting primes. wonder what role if any he’ll play? who is he? 

what else.... aaa i do wanna see tang wude too and more of his umbrella powers hehe

im just. so hype. i bet this also prob won’t be more than like 70 min but by god am i ready. 3 years for this, please let it be good. i also hope i can watch this soon bc idk when it’ll be available. i wanna pay to support them but idk if i can...

all my love to the rainbow sea team!! see you soon, fly again! 

[meowstix]

w-we a-awe t-the mastews of a powew dwiveny t-to the faw weaches of t-the unyivewse, a-anyd we have but onye desiwe! cany o-onye s-such a-as you possibwy fathom how deawwy we have c-cwunyg to this dweam acwoss t-the aeonys? h-how couwd you! you couwdny’t! nyevew e-evew evew! we who o-onyce faced those who wewe i-iny such feaw o-of o-ouw powew that they seawed us away anyd banyished u-us to the edge of t-the gawaxy! us! as if that wovewinyess wasny’t enyough, they twied t-to e-ewase ouw v-vewy e-existenyce fwom histowy! wude! o-onywy thwough ouw magic wewe we abwe t-to uvwcome t-theiw scienyce a-anyd achieve g-gweat p-pwospewity! we awonye w-wewe wesponysibwe f-fow stoppinyg t-that wepuwsive nyightmawe of a-a g-gawactic cwisis, yet t-this i-is how y-you wepay us! this wony’t s-stanyd! it wony’t b-be fowgiveny! it wony’t be f-fowgotteny! nyevew e-evew evew! those who cawwed u-us mad, awe you wistenyinyg? you w-weft u-us at the e-edge of t-the gawaxy to be fowgotteny, theny wenyt a-awonyg youw mewwy way, pwobabwy wivinyg somewhewe pwetty a-anyd peacefuw! b-but knyow this! youw futuwe is a-a fawce! you have nyonye! we, mastews of a mattew m-most dawk, vow t-to b-be westowed, as fowetowd iny t-the book of w-wegenyd, w-which evewyonye thought was j-just a faiwy tawe! it wasny’t! we have a-awweady obtainyed t-the v-vessew t-that conytainys ouw dawk w-wowd, a-anyd h-he w-wiww soony awakeny anyd showew u-us iny compassiony! w-wook! the v-vessew o-of ouw dawk w-wowd is fiwwinyg up e-eveny as we speak! ny-nyow t-the t-time fow h-his gweatnyess to e-enytew ouw w-wowwd has come! w-wewcome to a-a nyew histowy! a-a nyew age! the age of awesome! happy biwthday, dawk w-wowd! happy biwthday! X3

[bbdeathz]

Ab jetzt werden die Folge wieder mehr lebhaft, weil Poipole am Start ist. Wurde sehr niedlich in Folge 67 gezeigt. Weiterhin foreshadowing, dass es auf Licht steht, sogar als es angegriffen wurde und es ist sehr sympathisch. Zugegeben, selbst in der Masskito Folge hatte man es als sympathisch gesehen imo, jetzt hat man aber eine direkte Folge. Auch sehr neugierig und ich mag einfach den vibe von es. Fast immer gut drauf, verspielt und wieder mehr Niedlichkeit durch BLOßE Anwesenheit.

-

Erste Folge mit Burnet und ihren V V. Sympathisch wie immer und sehr lebahft, was ich an ihr Liebe. Außerdem weiterhin der Support von Mauzi zum Kätzchen. Ist ne kleine Sache, aber doch echt toll wie er sich freut, dass Litten sich entwickelt hat

-

Der Ausfallschritt ist immer SO süß, weil man hier die Verspieltheit erkennt und wie es einfach nur Spaß hat, während Ash alle Bälle schmeißt

-

Find den Dialog echt schön. Noch NIE wude so ein PKMN in die Gruppe geholt, also mit dem Familien Thema. Weiß nicht, ist ne kleine wholesome Sache so und passend zu S/M

[warwaited]

"In slightly less hectic circumstances I might have invited you to watch some of my forms. For now, though, we have more pressing matters to attend to." She opens her fingers, and the fly buzzes off, quickly meandering its way back to the carcass. "Close enough to my whole life, to be truthful. Almost daily dedication for eight years... then, well. A rather more healthy routine for the past three."

She casually hands the chopsticks back as well, walking over to half-sit, half-lean against the police car. Sure, they're exposed, but this part of the city has so far been remarkably quiet. Why not take a short break, especially if Claire is in a talking mood? "Your brother sounds a mindful sort. I'm sure you appreciate his attentiveness to you - especially now."

 claire's  eyes  go  wide,  leaning  in  to  look  at  the  fly.  "that  is  nothing  short  of  amazing!"  there's  no  mistaking  the  fact  she's  genuinely  impressed,  as  she  leans  back  away,  shaking  her  head  with  a  smile.  "i  guess  anything  is  possible."  she  puts  her  hands  to  her  hips,  smile  staying  on  her  lips. 

   "how  long  have  you  been  training  for?"  she  inclines  her  head,  genuine  curiosity  reading  across  her  face.  "it  wouldn't  surprise  me  if  you  told  me  your  whole  life."  she  gives  a  small  chuckle  and  a  sheepish  shrug.  "best  i  got  was  some  hand  to  hand  and  knife  training  off  my  brother.  wanted  me  to  stay  safe,  be  able  to  defend  myself.  i  have  a  lot  to  thank  him  for,  actually."

[warwaited]

Something strange happens the more he talks. Strange and concerning. She's attentive to start with, almost too much so, making a point of the way her eyes stay on him and her body faces his regardless of where she moves. He doesn't like an easy win? She nods, noting but not passing judgment either way. It's only when the chocolate metaphor comes into play that things begin to get weird.

Xue smiles. He's had his chocolate. He feels unfulfilled. Many do, but the purity of it is what starts to stoke the fire under her. He keeps talking, and she smiles wider. By the time he reaches the obviousness of it being a hobby - of doing this for no other reason than simple enjoyment, doing it because it's something he can do and something he can be good at, she's practically beaming. She's smiling like she's seeing the sunrise. She's smiling like the world is filled with pleasure and joy.

She is smiling, in fact, like she's going to kick his ass so hard vertebrae spray out of his mouth.

As the engine spins itself out and Jason falls silent, Xue hooks her thumbs through the sash around her waist. Drawing both hands to one side, she unties the wrap binding it to her torso, and folds it in her hands before setting it down on the bench. She'd seen it was distracting him, and while she doesn't know why, it's certainly for the better that he's aware for this.

He can see her resettle herself. Draw back, a bit, and find her center. "Before we proceed any further with this, let me lay something to rest. You have been getting better. It may not seem like it, especially when the yardstick of your peers isn't especially flattering, but I didn't tell you what you had improved on just to stoke your ego. No, you aren't used to it. But you are progressing."

A deep, slow breath, taken in through her mouth and blown out through her nose. Oh, God, the smile's back. "But I understand what you mean. I understood as soon as you related it. You've had your chocolate, mm?"

The smile's wider. She's going to kill him. She's going to somehow kill him with just her bare hands. "Now you want your steak." A full-chested, eager laugh, and she walks perpendicular to him, padding to the training floor and beckoning for him to follow. "That's good! That's very good."

His first answer is raised eyebrows. The first genuine tell of emotion he's shown-- possibly since he'd gotten here. A cascade of blinks, finally pulling his stare from that aggressive ruby at her waist, finally meeting her in the eye. His brow doesn't stay raised long, however. Already feeling like he's lost a match point, can feel the heat of embarrassment hot in his blood.

"I like it enough."

Answered perhaps a bit too quickly, a bit too on the nose. Immediately a tell for a non-truth, surely. Echoing her words almost to a T, as if he was afraid to venture out, use different ones.

"I mean-- okay, I don't like an easy win. But it's..."

He trails off. Searching the air above her head for the words, studies that aloe water in her hands. Half empty. Wouldn't hurt to get hit with now, might even make him chuckle. There are better projectiles she could choose. Is this even the right place for this conversation? The right time? It feels like yesterday he was skinning wild game, bartering and selling and fiending so hard for just five minutes of air conditioning. For even thirty seconds of a shower, for the mundanity of society and the security of normal life.

"You ever..."

Once again fighting for words. His voice feels alien. Feels fake. It feels like he's stolen it from someone. But he's not sure who. It's the software currently installed, so he might as well use it. It doesn't feel like he has many options. The words aren't coming, and he's not smart enough to find alternatives. But he can at least try to get the idea across without spilling his guts all over the dojo's floor.

"I like chocolate. But not all the time. Every meal being chocolate would suck. But if there's options-- I would be sick of chocolate after a week of nothing but, but it'd still be my choice."

Fucking hell, just tell her exactly what you went through! Just spill it all out, from that one simple question! He'd not even told Liza so much, not uttered even half that length of time speaking with her. Not even for lack of trying-- the rest of the group seemed so scared of him afterwards. Even during, Daisy starting up her armchair psychologist act and Grant's voice echoing still, telling him how many ways he was doing things wrong. They hadn't seemed receptive, but he hadn't tried all that hard either.

Now, he was faced point-blank with that question like a shotgun muzzle to the nose, and though he couldn't find the words, he was at least appreciative she wasn't treating him like a lost child.

"It's. A hobby."

A breath. In. Then out. You promised you'd let it go. So let it go!

"I'm not used to this... Style. I want to get better."

With any level of firearm? He'd picked it up fast. Had gone to the range a few times as a reckless kid with nothing to do, had some idea from that and the various games he and Ollie would play in their downtime. But now? With just his bare hands, in a whole new environment? Jason felt just as raw and exposed, defenseless as he had been before everything went south. It was much easier to win an altercation behind a sniper rifle than it was with just his fists and form. He wanted to grow and improve, get past the feeling of terror at every waking moment-- and this was the way to do so.

"Idunno if I have been."

[warwaited]

Something Xue has been able to pride herself on since she began the “after” of her journey is figuring out what has caused people’s paths to intersect with hers. There are many reasons to learn to fight, after all. Some people just want the exercise or the sense of community - they’re easy. She gives them approval when they earn it, advice when they don’t, and otherwise leave them well enough alone to socialize among themselves.

The sifu of the remade dojo also tends to see a lot of kids who are tired of being bullied. She spends more time on them. Not trying to warn them off of the path they’ve decided to walk, of course, but warning them that steps taken in anger can rarely be walked back. She’s not sure if her gentle coaching does much for them, but Xue is certain that they can make use of the forms and techniques she teaches them.

Then, exceedingly rarely. She gets someone like the foreigner.

He’s only the third. The other two had only spent a small amount of time in her class. The fighter had suspicions that they were in some way related to Sean, or maybe one of Fajar’s boys who wanted to come and have a go at the woman who had beaten their boss nearly to death before giving him a chance to change his trajectory. They hadn’t tried to start anything, thankfully, but she’d felt their eyes on her even when she wasn’t looking. He’s similar, but not the same. Something about him was oddly familiar in a way she didn’t especially like, and she couldn’t place his truly awful accent (what little she’d been able to hear of it) either.

Colour her shocked, then, when late in the evening it’s his voice that greets her while she’s busy unwrapping her hands. Immediately, his suppositions about her are proven right. It’s in the way her back straightens as her knees bend, a slight twist in her spine as if she’s preparing to dodge… something. Then, the moment passes, and she turns to face him fully. She doesn’t even twitch when he hits her with maybe the worst offering of a conversation she’s ever heard. There’s a twinge of amusement in her face as she puts the bandages in her pocket. “Long enough to be comfortable with it.”

Thank god, it’s English and not Cantonese. Surprisingly good English, actually, though the accent is obvious.

“I apologize if you’ve felt I was… disrespecting your experience in our spars. I know you’ve fought before.” A few steps are taken towards the bench, and she waggles a water bottle at Jason before tossing it underhand in his direction. “Some of the others get competitive. And… I didn’t know that you would appreciate a more serious bout. Some people…” Xue trails off, trying to find the words.

“They do this to be further from what they were. Gentler, even in action.”

There was something in her eyes when they first met, during that first instructed class. Intense, older than her frame might suggest. Knowledgeable, in ways he'd only seen staring harrowly back from reflections in passing puddles, in bathroom mirrors he failed to avoid. Something about the way she carried herself, even in what was supposed to be something of an extracurricular. Just something to pass the time, let off excess steam. Learn better skills, prepare for the shit world they all inhabited. Perhaps even be social, non-lethal combattants stopping at the sound of a bell.

Something there, in her eyes. Something he wished he didn't recognize as she demonstrated form and technique.

They'd never spoken. Nothing past grunted sounds of exertion as the classes continued, her technique admittedly better than his own. But that's why he was there, right? To learn? It was different, with pads and flourescent lights-- nothing like the feral bug-ridden islands, pockets heavy with extra ammuniton and grip threatened as it ran slick with blood.

There was something there-- something none of the others in the class seemed to have. Or notice, in any case. Probably for the best, actually.

Jason didn't go out of his way to really talk to any of them. How could he? He was barely social any more himself, changed for the worse since returning stateside. Slowly relearning the do's and don't's of society, of civilized life. Pulling away from friends, taking a break from Liza. Moving entire fucking continents to get away from it all, applying himself for once in his life to try and figure things out. Grant might've called him a coward, but Grant was dead. He'd been dead a while now. What did he know?

His Mandarin was, in all senses of the words, absolute shit. Barely conversational, barely good enough to get by. So he didn't bother trying. Already enough of an outcast here, a mix of a tourist and immigrant. He didn't care what people thought. It had been a month of this class, meeting every weekend, and finally, finding an excuse to talk to her. Overcoming his disgust for humanity for just long enough, pulling on an old hoodie as they closed down the training hall for the evening.

Curiosity, nothing less. Worst she'd do was ignore him, shoo him out the door.

"Hey."

Excellent start.

"You really know your stuff here."

Dumbass. She was the damn instructor. If he'd been smart, he would've asked her name first, either having forgotten or not been paying attention at the beginning. But then again, he'd never shared his own often either. Never felt the need to, weirdly at odds with his identity and humanity as a whole. No biggie. They could still chat.

"Been doing this long?"

@warwaited

[warwaited]

No response is given, and none was particularly expected. She focuses on what lies in front of her - directly in front of her. Claire is able to see her arm relax, her head turn slightly - and, suddenly, her hand is extended. She straightens up, not yet turning back... and transfers something from the chopsticks to her fingers.

When she turns back and holds her other hand out, there's a fat bluebottle fruitlessly wiggling between her thumb and forefinger. The change in her expression isn't drastic... but it is there. A simple, satisfied quirk of the lips, pleased with having gotten it on the first try. "They move erratically. The trick lies in not attempting to meet them where they are, or where it seems they might go. Like many things in life... the best time to strike is when your target pauses."

   she  almost  didn't  expect  to  be  taken  up  on,  though  some  levity  in  the  situation  is  always  helpful.  at  least  -  that's  what  she's  chosen  to  believe.  letting  yourself  be  bogged  down  by  the  bad  leads  to  mistakes  and  mistakes  lead  to,  well.  everyone  knows  where  that  leads. 

   so  it's  taking  advantage  of  these  small  moments,  pulling  up  something  ridiculous  to  do  in  the  lull.  allowing  time  to  unwind  just  a  little  from  the  situation,  disconnect  and  be silly.  it  eases  tension  and  allows  a  fresh  mind  to  retake  the  situation.  so  claire  watches,  with  genuine  interest.  it's  clear  she  thinks  this  is  going  to  be  good.

[warwaited]

“It can be “fine” and not be “good”. People can understand the reasoning behind something without feeling it’s justified.” Where he’s a coiled spring of barely restrained aggressive action, Xue is as placid as Jason can’t be. She unscrews the top of a bottle of her own; not water, some brightly coloured bottle he’s seen siblings of in the corner stores he’s breezed through like a ghost. She was going to throw it at his goddamn head. There’s a cartoon aloe leaf on the side.

She takes a sip. He keeps talking. There’s a bit of impressed interest in her face after watching him snap the bottle out of the air without looking - seemingly without even perceiving. Does he know there’s something in his hand now?

“To be a good teacher, it’s important to first be a good student. To teach, you need to know how to learn. How to help others learn, too, even when they don’t realize how best to do it.” Another sip. She’s going for eye contact. He’s staring at her waist like he expects her sash to jump out at him. “With most of the others it’s simple. They want to protect themselves, or learn a skill that gets them more in touch with the instrument of their body.” A couple of stronger, thirstier gulps, and Xue puts the cap back on the bottle with a wry chuckle.

“Sometimes they just want to impress girls. Those ones don’t last.” Despite the fact that he started this conversation, she seems happy to put in most of the legwork for it and let him come to points and conclusions at his own speed. And yet, there’s something very aware in the way she looks at him. Perhaps not seeing through him, certainly not grazing the fathomless, hostile jungle that feels more a part of him at this point than his own skin, but this is a woman who has gotten very good at threat identification.

Maybe she thinks he’s a threat. Maybe that’s why the line was drawn between her hand and his face, all the way across the room. “You I’m less sure about, though. You are right- you have been learning. You have power behind your strikes, and your footwork has been improving on pace… when you remember it.” Another of those faintly playful - goading? - smiles.

“But that isn’t really why you’re here. You think you know- I apologize. You know how to fight. You… press yourself into different shapes, to follow the instructions I give you. But it isn’t your natural, resting state.”

Her head cocks, just for a moment. Gauging. Judging. “Is it that you don’t like it? The… way you are.”

Something Xue has been able to pride herself on since she began the “after” of her journey is figuring out what has caused people’s paths to intersect with hers. There are many reasons to learn to fight, after all. Some people just want the exercise or the sense of community - they’re easy. She gives them approval when they earn it, advice when they don’t, and otherwise leave them well enough alone to socialize among themselves.

The sifu of the remade dojo also tends to see a lot of kids who are tired of being bullied. She spends more time on them. Not trying to warn them off of the path they’ve decided to walk, of course, but warning them that steps taken in anger can rarely be walked back. She’s not sure if her gentle coaching does much for them, but Xue is certain that they can make use of the forms and techniques she teaches them.

Then, exceedingly rarely. She gets someone like the foreigner.

He’s only the third. The other two had only spent a small amount of time in her class. The fighter had suspicions that they were in some way related to Sean, or maybe one of Fajar’s boys who wanted to come and have a go at the woman who had beaten their boss nearly to death before giving him a chance to change his trajectory. They hadn’t tried to start anything, thankfully, but she’d felt their eyes on her even when she wasn’t looking. He’s similar, but not the same. Something about him was oddly familiar in a way she didn’t especially like, and she couldn’t place his truly awful accent (what little she’d been able to hear of it) either.

Colour her shocked, then, when late in the evening it’s his voice that greets her while she’s busy unwrapping her hands. Immediately, his suppositions about her are proven right. It’s in the way her back straightens as her knees bend, a slight twist in her spine as if she’s preparing to dodge… something. Then, the moment passes, and she turns to face him fully. She doesn’t even twitch when he hits her with maybe the worst offering of a conversation she’s ever heard. There’s a twinge of amusement in her face as she puts the bandages in her pocket. “Long enough to be comfortable with it.”

Thank god, it’s English and not Cantonese. Surprisingly good English, actually, though the accent is obvious.

“I apologize if you’ve felt I was… disrespecting your experience in our spars. I know you’ve fought before.” A few steps are taken towards the bench, and she waggles a water bottle at Jason before tossing it underhand in his direction. “Some of the others get competitive. And… I didn’t know that you would appreciate a more serious bout. Some people…” Xue trails off, trying to find the words.

“They do this to be further from what they were. Gentler, even in action.”