Bladedancer, art by Drunkfu
Born as Alexander Farshine, Chou Lee/Li (力綢 pinyin Lì Chóu),[1] code name Bladedancer/Blade Dancer, is the Handmaid of the Tao and and enrolled as a Whateley student despite technically not being a mutant. She is from Knoxville, Tennessee.
MID[]
| Mutant Identification Card | |
| Code name | BLADEDANCER |
| Ratings | Baseline Human, Tai-Chi, Chinese Martial Arts |
| Techniques | Chinese Sage-Blade, Weapons of Opportunity, Sweeping Strike, Shadowed blade, Stalker-strike |
| Weak vs | Normal human vulnerabilities. No powers of note. |
| Backup / Team Affiliation | Independent/Team Kimba |
General Description[]
Alexander Farshine was an average boy from Knoxville, TN who bought a sword from an old Chinese gentleman at a gun show, and discovered that it was Destiny's Wave, an ancient Chinese blade, weapon of the Handmaid of the Tao. He also found, much to his bemusement, that when he had it out of its box it turned him into a Chinese girl, who was a bit shorter and lighter than he was used to being. The box is destroyed on the way to Whateley by the Demon Lord of the Hell of Fiery Immersion, leaving her permanently female. She chooses the name Chou Lee, gotten from a Hong Kong comic, presumably, "The Legendary Couple", written by Louis Cha; Drawn by Tony Wong, and Published by ComicsOne
It turns out that having the blade makes her the Handmaiden of Destiny, the Keeper of the Balance, and sometimes the human embodiment of the Tao.
She's sponsored to Whateley by the Eight Immortals, and initially rooms with Phase. She then shared room with someone else before being roomates with Pejuta.
The Monkey King also shows up frequently, to the consternation of most people around her. After the debacle with the Chinese God of War on Parent's day 2006, the Immortals provide her with a teacher.
Stories[]
Main Character[]
- Destiny's Wave
- Blade Dancing
- Panty Raid
- To the Mountain
- Aftermath
- Have Yourself a Monkey Little Christmas
- Five Elements Dancing
- Gong Hai Fat Choy
- Charging Buffalo, Hidden Dragon
- Seeking Depth is Best
Side Character[]
Mentions[]
Appearance[]
Looks like Zhang Ziyi, of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame except for her verdant jade green eyes. She has straight black longer than shoulder length hair and generally wears a pair of Yoga pants and a long necked sleeveless Mandarin top. Many of the stories involving Chou have pictures of her.
Powers[]
By herself, she's a highly trained baseline with awesome martial arts skills and an awakened Chi sense. She picks up a number of other powers that are mystical in nature, none of which are mutant.
When the Tao fills her, she is essentially unbeatable. However, that only happens when she has to correct something to Maintain the Balance or if something truly threatens the Handmaid.
There's a reason her initial in-take assessment had put her as Exemplar 3, Esper 2, Wizard 2, Healer 2, Devisor 1.[3] The Tao grants her those abilities, akin to how an avatar is granted abilities by a hosted spirit; she is Imbued by the Tao.
Skills[]
Tai Chi, Wu Dan sword, Lightfoot Gung Fu, Dim Mak (death touch), other styles.
Personality[]
Fairly quiet and reserved, tends to interject ancient pieces of untranslatable Chinese wisdom into the conversation. Dealing with Depression in her Freshman year due to her father's death.
Equipment[]
Destiny's Wave[]
- Main article: Destiny's Wave
Destiny's Wave (命運波 pinyin mìngyùn bō)[1] is an ancient Chinese sword that was forged by the Artificer Jialing, and its fame has been compared to Excalibur.[4] It has the soul of an ancient Chinese sage bound into it, or, as Lan Caihe Ho says, "she is a teacher....who let herself be...placed in the blade."[3]
It can cut through anything. The spirit acts as a tutor and also has its own power set. It is later revealed that the spirit has been a previous Handmaid. For Christmas 2007, the Monkey King gave her a talisman that she can use to make the sword and scabbard invisible so she can carry it anywhere.
As of some time in the summer of 2006, it has been "at least five hundred years have passed since [she] was out last".[3]
Eldritch's voice, "sounded insanely similar to Destiny’s Wave on the occasions she deigned to speak out loud."[5]
Robe of Midnight[]
Given to her by her mentor, this robe seems to allow her to remain unnoticed. It also allows her to Shadow Travel at least within Line of Sight. Traveling through it with anyone else hurts.
Flying Cloud[]
A cloud that she can summon at will and fly upon, like the Monkey King uses in the novel Journey to the West. Her mentor gave her this as a present.
Purse[]
A Christmas gift from the Immortals, this rough silk patchwork bag can hold much more than normally could be expected — in fact, it could hold everything Chou owns, provided that it can fit through the opening.
Weaknesses[]
Nothing idiosyncratic. She's a baseline.
Classes[]
Fall 2006[]
She worked up her schedule with Team Kimba, trying to get into classes with them as much as possible for aid in catching up. The following schedule does not contradict her stories, and every class is with at least one Kimba.
She's picked up the Powers Theory books to read, she's not enrolled in the class.[6] And now she appears to be enrolled in the class, at least she has Powers Theory papers to write.[7]
- Costume Shop I[6] This would have Jinn and Ayla and Sara.
- Basic Martial Arts With Toni and Jade, early in the day.[8] Bek's stories put Chaka in a morning BMA section. This is the only mention of Jade in a morning BMA section.
- Empty Period. Or Powers Theory with Tennyo and Ayla.
- Introduction to Basic Mystic Concepts[3] She's taking a magic class, this has Nikki, Toni, and Sara, baring a Fourth Period conflict with something else this should be it.
- Chinese[6] With Jinn.
- English[6] This would place her with Toni.
- Shao-Lin Sword with Sifu Chester Fitzgibbons, in the afternoon. October 10, 2006 through November 11, 2006.[8] To work, this would be after regular classes have ended, but before dinner. It is individual instruction, not as a class with other students.
- Mentoring with Rebecca Stone. Beginning November 20, 2006.[9] Problem: the story acts as though her after lunch activities had all been martial arts related, and that Becca's mentoring replaces them. This is not in line with what came before. She's taking a full load of classes, excepting a free third period, and her BMA section is second period based upon previous information.
Winter 2007[]
- Team Tactics I First & Second Periods.[10]
- Weapons Training and Mentoring from Dyffud Harraz. Fourth Period.[11]
- Special Topics - Martial Arts Sixth Period.[10]
- Mentoring with Rebecca Stone.
Spring 2007[]
Associations[]
- Poe Cottage
- Ayla Goodkind - roommate at room 216 (from October 6, 2006[13] to February 19, 2007[14])
- Ceecee - new roomate (room unnamed) beginning March, 2007[12] through the rest of the 2006-2007 academic year
- Kayda Franks - roommate (room 211) beginning 2007-08-27.
- Team Kimba
- Officially left on February 19, 2007 to form her own team[15]
- Handmaid's Own[16] - new training team
- Chain Lightning - also (former) boyfriend
- Gateway - also girlfriend/soulmate
- Geomancer
- Rebecca Stone - mentor
- Dr. Bellows - Academic advisor[3]
- Dyffud Harraz - martial arts tutor[11]
- Billy Two Knives - horse riding/archery/combat tutor[17]
- Boston PD SWAT (Deputized auxiliary)
Supernatural entities:
Enemies:
Appearances[]
- Destiny's Wave
- To the Mountain
- Have Yourself a Monkey Little Christmas - Or - The Uncanny X-Mas
- Summoning Sweeties
- Five Elements Dancing
- Gong Hai Fat Choy
- Among others.
On October, 21 2007, she's spotted by Raptor using wooden swords to spar with Fey over by Poe..[18]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Poetheather on the Crystal Hall forums
- ↑ Call the Thunder: Chapter 4 - The Beatings will Continue Until Morale Improves
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Destiny's Wave
- ↑ Tea and Synergy
- ↑ Call The Thunder: Chapter 5 - Idiots 'R Us!
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Panty Raid
- ↑ To the Mountain: Part 2
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Blade Dancing
- ↑ To the Mountain: Part 1
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ayla and the Great Shoulder Angel Conspiracy: Chapter 1 - Ishim
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Five Elements Dancing: Book of the Earth
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ayla and the Mad Scientist: Chapter 2 - L'Etranger
- ↑ Ayla and the Tests: Chapter 3 - The Ceryneian Hind
- ↑ Vamp (Story)
- ↑ Ayla and the Mad Scientist: Chapter 1 - A la Recherche du Temps Perdu
- ↑ Tea with a Serpent: Chapter 2
- ↑ Now the Real Learning Can Begin: Chapter 1 - Apetu Theca (A New Dawn)
- ↑ Raptor: An Eye on Campus