Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
[X] Compose a piece about loneliness and cold, and how they came to fade away

This is probably the one that's least appropriate for right now, but it's also about Ling Qi both growing past her loneliness and about her desire to build something for herself (I think?). Anyway, might change my vote, but here is a tentative one.
 
Sixiang grimaced. "No, I could… feel you hurting though, and that made me hurt. And if something happened to you, this dream would end, and I wouldn't get to tease you anymore, or listen to your songs or watch everyone fumble around trying to express themselves and…" Sixiang reached up, toying with a strand of their drifting misty hair as they babbled. "...I didn't want that. I'm not ready to wake up and rejoin grandmother yet," frustration and confusion bled into Sixiang's voice.

Sixiang now understands the horror of ego death, now that they have had a solid identity tied to Ling Qi. Now has memories they cherish, and a state of being they wish to continue as Sixiang the Muse.

Sixiang held up a hand to forestall her. "Hang on a sec, let me catch up, I haven't been paying attention," Ling Qi blinked as the spirit reached out and brushed her fingers across the opaque water. She saw the surface ripple, and glimpsed flashing images; the mountain path, her conversation with Cai renxiang, Yu Nuan's face and others as well.

"You can just do that?" Ling Qi asked, bewildered.

"Once I'm done you'll be able to as well, one more sec," Sixiang muttered distractedly. "Alright, I think I got a handle on her. Where are you stuck?"

Aw hell yeah, a full catalog of memories for us to study when we go to sleep? Awesome.
 
Remember, Ling Qi's internal explanation for why everything went wrong is that she was afraid of the King, and she doesn't like that she was. I think what she wants is to be the type of person that doesn't let fear control her, even when things are scary.

[X] Compose a piece about fear and disquiet, and how they might be defeated
 
Kyaaaa. Sixiang moe. The Sixiang ship gains ground!

Analysing the options:
[] Compose a piece about the shadows of disorder and uncertainty, and how those ills might be vanquished
The most Cai option. Potentially provides a really strong political argument that others could find compelling, but I'd worry most here that this would be the option that Ling Qi herself would lack conviction in being able to express. IF we can't present it strongly, it may contrast poorly with Yu Nuan's attitude.

[] Compose a piece about loneliness and cold, and how they came to fade away

The one the I think resonates the strongest with Ling Qi personally. Downside is I'm not sure it will necessarily resonate as well with the competition. It's much more personal, and without background similar to Ling Qi might not work as well.

[x] Compose a piece about fear and disquiet, and how they might be defeated

The middle option? Vanquishing fear through acquisition of power and allies? An expression of Ling Qi's philosophy of cultivation? I think this is potentially an option that Ling Qi could still present strongly, while at the same time being something that would resonate more generally with her competition and audience.
 
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Yet, ultimately, Ling Qi barely noticed as she laid down after changing into nightclothes that she had not worn in months.
wat ?
She's not sleeping in cai-robe ??

Who are you , and what did you do to the real Ling Qi ???




[X] Compose a piece about loneliness and cold, and how they came to fade away

this is what Ling Qi wants the most, to end and never again feel that loneliness she had to bear as a street rat. She wants friends, she wants family, she wants people around her. The rest, raw power, protection, politics, stealing, everything else are just means to this ultimate goal for Ling Qi.
 
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Very fun update. Was nice that we got to see Six and we where correct in that they was working on something. A bit bigger something then I expected though. Building their own domain will have interesting effects. Though I have to wonder if they simply did not have one before because she was tied to LQ. Spirits usually seems to be their Domains more often then not and the fact that Six did not have one before is intriguing.

[] Compose a piece about the shadows of disorder and uncertainty, and how those ills might be vanquished
[] Compose a piece about loneliness and cold, and how they came to fade away
[] Compose a piece about fear and disquiet, and how they might be defeated

Disorder and uncertainty seems like a very CRX aligned message at first glance to me. Discord thinks it might also be connected to the King. Dont think LQ actually has a way for how ills might be vanquished though. Considering that she herself is wallowing in what justice is atm. Probably closer to opposing whatever our opponent will write about.

Friendship is magic I guess. Even if it is kinda funny considering that a cold place is pretty much one of the places where LQ likes to be atm. (Zeqing and Hanyi) Cold fades away if you befriend it. :D Very much a what LQ wants choice. But still too narrow can be a bad thing in this maybe?

Also a very LQ choice. Considering her life up until now and beyond. Her life on the street and in the sect but also serving under CRX and the Overlord will probably be very scary and disquieting. Though I wonder if LQ actually knows how they might be defeated.
 
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Couple reasons for picking this one, but the main one I think is that we haven't actually beaten the others yet in a significant way.

We just got done being uncertain and disordered, and we've pretty much accepted it's going to happen again. Which is fine, no state lasts forever and it's more about continuing to win each battle with uncertainty than it is to try and hold on to the idea of one lasting peace. I just don't think we can hit those notes genuinely yet in a way that will appeal to our opponent or the judges.

As for lonliness and cold, yea sure we aren't as lonely as we were when we got here but uhh, we've been drinking pretty deeply of that darkness and ice well. It seems a bit hypocritical to talk about that when we're still gonna be using those songs in our cultivation from here on. Still, the contrast is a useful too and it would be the path I'd support the most among the others I haven't picked.

As for fear and disquiet? That one is pretty much sorted for us outside of situation where we're seriously outclassed as in the recent dragon class threat. We are still going to hit this one as we advance but I believe that with the support structure we have now, it's less likely to take root or have a significant effect than uncertainty.

I really like this. A song about overcoming fear fits Ling Qi, because one of the most fundamental changes that Ling Qi saw in the sect was growing enough that she didn't need to be afraid (as much). Remember the skittish "mouse" that Ling Qi was at the start of the story, and compare it to how she behaves now.

[X] Compose a piece about fear and disquiet, and how they might be defeated

For now, I'll also approval-vote for lonliness. It fits better than disorder IMO, and I'd rather not have it be left behind.
[X] Compose a piece about loneliness and cold, and how they came to fade away
Adhoc vote count started by PrimalShadow on Jan 21, 2019 at 3:48 PM, finished with 33 posts and 29 votes.
 
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Let's see:
[] Compose a piece about the shadows of disorder and uncertainty, and how those ills might be vanquished
Chaos and Doubt: Bloody dream; resolve with way of Cai, Justice. Fits the challenge most but... LQ can't into justice, not yet. We'll learn as we get closer to CRX but it's a thing for the future.
[] Compose a piece about loneliness and cold, and how they came to fade away
The life before the Sect, Zeqing; double-meaning of friendship gained in the sect, making even snowmom care, core of our domain.
Doesn't work very well in context of the challenge but by god it'll be a strong message. Should compose this regardless in our spare time and make it an a debuff/buff Art or something.
[] Compose a piece about fear and disquiet, and how they might be defeated
Conviction: Ling Qi's resolve to walk the path of standing by those she cares abouts (her conviction), and while the Dream was a misstep, those are still allowed. She will improve with time.

Most relevant to her current internal turmoil, still relevant to the challenge because our opponent faces her hardships with a similar approach.

1 is no due to poor compatibility for all that it fits the challenge.
2 and 3 are both great, I think they're both perfectly fine options.

I'll vote for 3 though; it fits our opponent better and more importantly it's most productive at facing our dream-related issues, and with the help of and for Sixiang no less (who is apparently at least as traumatized as LQ, yay for personality bleedthrough?).

[X] Compose a piece about fear and disquiet, and how they might be defeated
 
[x] Compose a piece about fear and disquiet, and how they might be defeated

Seems like the most apt composition to best Yu Nuan.
 
First option is a very CRX piece, but a horrible choice since Ling Qi lacks the conviction or experience to compose a meaningful message. It's CRX's emotions, not Ling Qi's, and would only be worth pursuing for this contest if we were trying to convince Ya Nuan to join with CRX, but we haven't even fully convinced ourselves that CRX was best yet. We're not Gan Guanglan.
Second option is half good, since Ling Qi's been gathering friends and making connections and is constantly trying to keep them, but the cold half of the option would be ineffectual, considering how we're embracing FSS and how much of our music is a result of learning from an ice spirit. Besides, I'm hoping that Ling Qi can both embrace the cold and her friends, like a warm cabin in the middle of a snowstorm.
So that leaves the third option which is always solid considering how much fear can drive a person, although fear seems a little cliche.

[X] Compose a piece about fear and disquiet, and how they might be defeated
 
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