Parker "Stripes" Zhao

Akashic Brotherhood
Hu Zhao of the Li Hai
Kin of the Silver Chain
The Blue Skin of Canton
Legate of the Court of Shooting Stars

Description


~Some people must just be born this cool. Parker wears a sharp suit of black, with a red silk shirt and matching tie. His smooth, pale face boasts a pair of slick rectangular sunglasses. A pleasant smile graces his lips and his chin is held high, proud of whatever heritage he may have. At first glance, he seems Chinese. But his broader build, combined with the slightly-swaggering carriage, suggests a confident Western parent. His acorn-brown eyes are only gently slanted, in fact. A smooth stride carries Parker far but the hidden menace behind his quiet, shady stance often keeps him an aloof icon of modern culture heroism. When beholding Hu Zhao, a soft and smooth tone, combined with his urbane veneer and almost predatory poise, invokes the myth of the rakshasa. But to most people, this imagery is banished when they recognize who he is: Parker Zhao, co-star of the martial arts action cult hit, A City Spent, alongside Jet Li and James Lew (as well as a number of other lesser cinematic accomplishments). So why is this movie star here?~

OOC: Appearance 3; Style 2; Fame 4

"Effortlessness is the key to success. A true warrior never has to lift a finger to defeat an opponent who is trying to win."

History


Youth

Some people were just born into the industry. Parker Zhao’s mother was an American journalist working for Entertainment Weekly. His father was Bing Zhao, a big-shot producer in Hong Kong cinema. Parker grew up around the movie business. He lived in a decent neighborhood in Canton, but trips to school crossed through poorer areas. The half-Chinese youth had to deal with bullies from the beginning. Perhaps that’s why his parents got him involved in a local wing chun kwoon. Kung fu, they figured, would teach him how to avoid problem kids and defend himself when cornered. And his parents figured right. However, they discovered that Parker used his kung fu on neighborhood bullies anyway. It was often to defend his little sister, Sally, from trouble-makers.

And Parker’s early introduction to the martial arts also helped him to score minor roles in his father’s business. He even scored a tiny part in a Jackie Chan film his father produced. Parker had some talent -- less of a theatrical talent and more of a flair for showmanship. The kid had stage presence, in other words. Although he had fun doing the films, Parker confessed that his only true interest was the practice of kung fu. And at age ten, he announced to his parents that he would be focusing all his attention on the martial arts. Though slightly disappointed, both parents couldn’t help but compare Parker to greats like Bruce Lee. Reports from the sifu indicated that Parker had a natural aptitude for kung fu. He understood fundamental concepts and philosophies even at his young age. He grasped basic techniques and honed them down to smooth skills. He often participated in tournaments and always placed in sparring and chuan (forms) alike.

But besides the practice of martial arts and public schooling, Parker led a fairly normal life. When his parents weren’t busy, they took he and Sally on day trips. His favorite trips were to the local zoos. He admitted to himself that it was not the zoo that entertained him but the weird dreams he always had that night after. Inexplicable and indescribable, he only knew that seeing wild animals inspired him to strange dreams of such creatures.

Awakening & Mentorship

Then at age thirteen, a particularly strange event changed Parker’s life forever. His family visited the circus when it came to town. After being a regular spectator, the young teen snuck away from his parents to explore the tents and the rest of the site. He came upon the tiger cage and froze when he saw that the gate was unlatched. He turned to go hastily, but the tiger pounced. It came out of nowhere, perhaps from behind a wagon or brush. He was tackled heavily to the ground and the air was knocked out of him. The tiger just stared down at him but it did not savage him. Indeed, the beast just wandered off. Parker lay there, paralyzed in fright. Yet his mind was working overtime. Realities spun in wild circles as that terror unhinged all blockades and obstacles between his conscious and subconscious. Parker was enlightened. He was Awakened.

Parker did not know any better. He thought he had just had an eye-peeling, life-changing epiphany (and he did). He just didn’t realize the gravity of it, and merely took the most external lessons of the event in stride. He began to dream almost nightly of the tiger and tigers in myriad manners. And often, he felt that terror, the dreams almost nightmarish. The fear was not from the predatory animal so much as his ignorance of what this all meant. But he applied that fear he had felt to his kung fu training, becoming a true martial arts showman. Every gesture, gaze, and shout was testament to Parker’s unlocked ferocity. At his age, his opponents found themselves stumbling away in fear. Even adults were taken aback by his wild battle fervor. And yet after the match was over, he was calm, placid, mellow, and pleasant. His sifu, who was an aging and ailing old master, did not notice anything out of the ordinary.

And so, the youth spent the next three years feeling more alone than he ever had. He wrestled with his newfound feelings and perceptions. He began to socialize only when required, for school, kung fu practice, and demanded family gatherings. Parker even feared himself, not understanding why he could understand his master’s brief lessons on ch’i so well. When the old man told the class to try and envision the flow, he did. And yet no one else could. They just pretended they felt some heat between sweaty palms. Astounded by himself, he began to practice in secret, trying to develop his potential further.

But it was perhaps fortunate when his old teacher finally retired. His new sifu recognized those talents (as he was possibly Awakened, too). He recommended to his family that Parker be allowed to go away to a special school for gifted martial artists. He would be schooled by the famous monk and kung fu master, Hei Feng-Bao. Pleased and proud, his parents readily agreed. So Parker packed a few meager belongings, including his favorite, worn pair of wooden long gian (“nunchucks”). Parker hopped on a plane that soon shipped hundreds of miles from Canton. He arrived at the eastern base of the Himalayans and was bussed into the range for another hundred miles. There a guide waited for him. A middle-aged, rural Chinese man escorted Parker higher into the mountains. They soon reached a secluded monastery where few monks could be seen. The guide explained that he was a servant and contact to the nearby villages, and that Parker was welcome to explore and meet the monks.

So Parker did just that. He found that the monastery, named Ying Qixichu (Eagle’s Roost), was surrounded with vast woodlands and had no electricity. Water was gained from a well. It was very archaic, clearly, and the orange robe-clad monks were austere and quiet. Parker did not speak with them except to find Hei Feng-Bao, but it was the Master who found him. He approached the boy as he pulled water from the well for a drink. Their relationship began with a simple, introductory conversation.

Feng-Bao kept the first lessons simple, more to feel out the boy’s skill and talent than anything else. Parker’s questions came quickly though, as the youth’s yearning mind demanded answers. What condition had he entered? Why did he literally see and feel the flow of ch’i when other martial artists who seemed as diligent as he could not? Feng-Bao asked about his dreams and when they began and considered the circus event “auspicious indeed”. Parker was gradually introduced to the realities of the Hidden World. He learned that he was Awakened, no better than any other man, but definitely more aware. That awareness, he was taught, could be harnessed to manipulate what others did not comprehend.

Parker began to learn the tenets and methodology of Do, doing so through hong fu chiao pai (Red Tiger Style) instead of classical wing chun. And Parker confessed he enjoyed Tiger Style much more, demonstrating greater adaptation for its techniques. He also underwent grueling tests of physical endurance and skill, many of which he found reminscient of the myths of Shao Lin kung fu. Parker merged these traditional lessons with his ferocious streak and showman’s flair. He adopted the tenet that a “frightened warrior has already lost” as key instrument in his repertoire.

And the young Akashic, as he learned this Brotherhood was called, balanced his physical skills with a studious and keen intellect. He studied hard at subjects especially related to the martial arts. The monastery, though isolated, was not forgotten. And many other young Akashic Brothers passed by. Parker gladly competed in friendly tournaments when enough gathered, or even just spontaneous matches. He excelled always but did not always win. And Parker took his losses in stride, learning from his mistakes and never repeating them, instead of getting angry with himself or others.

So for seven long years, Parker trained hard in the ways of the Li Hai and Akashic Brotherhood. He learned a number of esoteric martial arts secrets he knew would take his unAwakened peers decades to comprehend. He felt some pride in his achievements, but Hei Feng-Bao warned him sternly about hubris. It was a lesson he never forgot (hehe), and thanked his Master for more than any other. He graduated from Ying Qixichu in 1997.

Early Years

Now twenty-three years old, Parker returned to Hong Kong. Though a different man in many ways, Parker surprised his father with his announced desire to get back into the film industry. Bing Zhao pulled strings for his son, and Parker was able to get involved in the fairly prosperous film-making business of Hong Kong. Parker kept his true motivations for getting back into the business a secret from his family. He wanted to put the “drama of dharma” into real life. But he didn’t want to have to explain that lesson about spirituality to his unAwakened relatives, so he simply said he wanted to be like Bruce Lee (which wasn’t far off the mark, in fact).

Over the next few years, Parker was only able to co-star in minor films (most of which his father had a hand in). These were movies rarely viewed outside the Far East. But he didn’t mind, and patiently awaited for his “big break”. And it certainly came when in 2001 he was cast for a starring role alongside Jet Li and James Lew. The movie was produced over the course of the year and released in 2002. It was called Life Downtown in Hong Kong but they changed the name to A City Spent when it was released in American box offices! Though the movie was really just a cult hit for fans of Hong Kong heroes like Jet Li, it broadcast Parker Zhao’s name to let him stand besides just cinematic stars. It gave Parker the fame and glamor (not to mention a lot of money) to press for even greater goals. Like Bruce Lee, Parker wanted to show the world how martial arts should be and through the medium everyone understood: movies.

Unfortunately, the Asian Technocracy (which Parker knew next to nothing about except that they were Big Trouble) recognized a “reality deviant”. They wanted to oust this “villain” before he could spread “superstitionist hogwash” throughout the world. But concerned that his fame and connections would complicate outright assassination, the Union made threatening gestures through various mediums (such as Triads). Parker got death threats from such organizations, and no one understood why. Indeed, there was no motivation for them except that Parker knew that all of the messages he received had one thread in common. They born a stamped mark of “FMD” in Chinese at the bottom of the letter. Though it baffled police, Parker knew what the acronym meant: the Five Metal Dragons wanted him dead.

For the first time since his Awakening, Parker felt genuinely terrified for his life. He was even frightened for his family’s lives. The nightly dreams of tigers began to pick up in intensity. He began to wonder if the images of tigers were more than he thought, too. His Master suggested once that perhaps they were the chosen symbols of his Avatar because of the event of his Awakening. The Master also hinted that maybe the “blood of tigers” ran in his veins, though that made even less sense in a confusing universe of metaphoric metaphysics.

Recent Years

Besides, Parker felt the need for change in his life gnawing at him from the inside. He was pleased he made such an impact with that last film. But he needed more in his life. So he made a shocking and disappointing announcement to his family, manager, agent, and fans. He was semi-retiring. He promised he would return to the movie business one day soon, but he needed to broaden his horizons and complete his education. He wanted to go to college. Many suggestions and offers were made regarding college. But over all the options, he chose the most obscure: the College of Asian Studies located in Kansas City. The small college was smack-dab in the middle of Little Asia, the biggest booming Asian sector in any current American city.

Parker wanted to get away from it all: glamour, parties, technocrats. So in early 2003, he moved to Kansas City and began to attend the Winter/Spring Seminar of the CAS. All seemed to be going well and without disturbance. With subtle mental effects, Parker kept himself low profile. But in spite of that effort, he was recognized. Not for who he was, but what he was -- other chi’n ta happened upon in the CAS. A Japanese mage of the Shiryokosha, named Daitan Shindashi, was studying in the library when Parker came in. Their similar style in clothing is what compelled them to examine each other more closely, and that’s when they recognized one another for what they were. Polite conversation ensued and soon Parker learned of the Coalition of Little Asia and the Court of Shooting Stars. He was brought before the Lady of the Stars, Nekoko. Her evident Mastery awed the young Akashic, and he felt honored and privileged to be a part of so august and protective an agency.

Now Parker could continue his studies with less to fear, it seemed. Over the summer of 2003, he became more aware of this “tiger blood” Hei Feng-Bao mentioned. He found himself feeling more and more like a tiger in a man’s body. And so he began to leave his protective shell, probing carefully into the city around him in search for more answers.

Weakness
Feline Stripe


Though warned sternly against arrogance, and though he doesn't truly embrace hubris, Parker can't help but feel superior over most other people. It is possibly the blood in his veins or just the Resonance he projects and encourages through daily life. This can irritate some people (dog lovers at least) and may earn him unexpected enemies.

Likelihood of Corruption


Average.

Parker is a good man with good goals. But there is much he doesn't know or understand, including about the mundane world. There are elements of the norm and supernatural alike that can doom his search for enlightenment and success.

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Coalition of Little Asia

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