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

[X] Sixiang's troubles directly. Ling Qi was no great philosopher, but she knew that ugliness did not preclude beauty. It was true that things were hard, and Sixiang was not violent by nature but… there was still worth in the waking world. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on Sixiang's problems with recent events and how to reconcile them with their nature. More likely to lead to a long term solution. Lower chance of Positive outcome.]

JowKeen said:

edit: am I on the right side of the moratorium? Can't tell

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You are not - your vote was 20 minutes too early.

yrsillar said:

In case its unclear, yes, there will be a little dicerolling to determine outcomes here, since the situation could go either way.

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......I'm sorry, I don't trust dice rolls

[X] Their personal bond. They did not know each other as well as Ling Qi might like, but… Sixiang was her friend and her muse, they had shouted at the Bloody Moon for her, and helped her through so much. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on their personal relationship and growing friendship. More effective rhetoric, but downplays Sixiang's problems and may only be a stopgap. Higher chance of Positive Outcome]

[X] Their personal bond. They did not know each other as well as Ling Qi might like, but… Sixiang was her friend and her muse, they had shouted at the Bloody Moon for her, and helped her through so much. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on their personal relationship and growing friendship. More effective rhetoric, but downplays Sixiang's problems and may only be a stopgap. Higher chance of Positive Outcome]

[X] Sixiang's troubles directly. Ling Qi was no great philosopher, but she knew that ugliness did not preclude beauty. It was true that things were hard, and Sixiang was not violent by nature but… there was still worth in the waking world. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on Sixiang's problems with recent events and how to reconcile them with their nature. More likely to lead to a long term solution. Lower chance of Positive outcome.]

[X] Their personal bond. They did not know each other as well as Ling Qi might like, but… Sixiang was her friend and her muse, they had shouted at the Bloody Moon for her, and helped her through so much. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on their personal relationship and growing friendship. More effective rhetoric, but downplays Sixiang's problems and may only be a stopgap. Higher chance of Positive Outcome]

I'd note that Ling Qi seems to be forgetting the flip side of her own insight: her opinions matter too. She is part of the family herself, but while she's been factoring them in, she hadn't been counting herself and her needs as part of it.

And what she needs immediately is for Sixiang to stay with her, for the same reason Zhengui and Hanyi doesn't want Ling Qi to go out there and tank lethal blows with her neck.

Kurth said:

X] Sixiang's troubles directly. Ling Qi was no great philosopher, but she knew that ugliness did not preclude beauty. It was true that things were hard, and Sixiang was not violent by nature but… there was still worth in the waking world. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on Sixiang's problems with recent events and how to reconcile them with their nature. More likely to lead to a long term solution. Lower chance of Positive outcome.]

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Your bracket is broken in the beginning, and your vote won't register.

[X] Sixiang's troubles directly. Ling Qi was no great philosopher, but she knew that ugliness did not preclude beauty. It was true that things were hard, and Sixiang was not violent by nature but… there was still worth in the waking world. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on Sixiang's problems with recent events and how to reconcile them with their nature. More likely to lead to a long term solution. Lower chance of Positive outcome.]

Absolutely my answer.

My read on this vote is "there will be two sequential Sixiang rolls in the future. The first roll is right in this conversation, where a failure means Sixiang leaving, and a success means that they will stay for the time being. The second roll occurs after an unknown amount of time, and will decide if Sixiang stays with Qi actually long term, or if they leave." Our first option gives us a much more forgiving DC on the first dice roll, but because we aren't directly tackling the core issue, the second roll will be a lot harder, and the odds of Sixiang becoming a more permanent fixture are lower. Second option is aimed directly at that second roll, we want to fix the underlying problem the best that we can, at the cost of Six being more likely to just call it off now.

How much do we value Sixiang being here for the next however many months or years? How much do we value Sixiang being with us borderline indefinitely after that point? What are the costs to Sixiang going through this war with us?

That's one thing that needs to be highlighted. If Sixiang is going to leave us forever, I would much rather they do so now. This war is going to hurt them a lot if they don't resolve some shit, and evoking our bond is just gonna make them grit their teeth and endure for our sake until their will breaks and they can't endure any longer. I do not want to put them through that if they are going to leave anyway. It would suck to lose Sixiang so soon, but not so much that I can ignore the pain that Six would feel by sticking with us.

That's why I like Option 2 so much, because it cares a lot more about helping them with their pains and addresses the root of the problem. It just feels a lot kinder, and increases the chance of granting Sixiang a long-term happiness with us.

Is this suicide prevention? Where is that interpretation coming from?

I'd rather consistently attend to Sixiang's needs in every turn than bet on this one interaction for the sake of "long term goals". Yes I'm gonna be pessimistic about this, we don't know how Sixiang will react

I feel it. This is the vote that's gonna get me raging and salty. Oh boy

[X] Sixiang's troubles directly. Ling Qi was no great philosopher, but she knew that ugliness did not preclude beauty. It was true that things were hard, and Sixiang was not violent by nature but… there was still worth in the waking world. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on Sixiang's problems with recent events and how to reconcile them with their nature. More likely to lead to a long term solution. Lower chance of Positive outcome.]
Theme music ;o)

[X] Sixiang's troubles directly. Ling Qi was no great philosopher, but she knew that ugliness did not preclude beauty. It was true that things were hard, and Sixiang was not violent by nature but… there was still worth in the waking world. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on Sixiang's problems with recent events and how to reconcile them with their nature. More likely to lead to a long term solution. Lower chance of Positive outcome.]

I stated my piece, and I felt no argument overturned it. If she leavesor dies, I will be sad, but I won't regret my decision. This kind of emotional manipulation only excacerbates the problems, and, word of QM about mechanical consequences or not, I feel like the other choice would violate both the argent mirror insiight and the leaving your friends make their own choices insight. This may not be what Ling Qi feels, but its what I'd like her to feel. Thus I vote accordingly.

[X] Sixiang's troubles directly. Ling Qi was no great philosopher, but she knew that ugliness did not preclude beauty. It was true that things were hard, and Sixiang was not violent by nature but… there was still worth in the waking world. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on Sixiang's problems with recent events and how to reconcile them with their nature. More likely to lead to a long term solution. Lower chance of Positive outcome.]


I....smell salt

[X] Sixiang's troubles directly. Ling Qi was no great philosopher, but she knew that ugliness did not preclude beauty. It was true that things were hard, and Sixiang was not violent by nature but… there was still worth in the waking world. [Ling Qi's arguments focus on Sixiang's problems with recent events and how to reconcile them with their nature. More likely to lead to a long term solution. Lower chance of Positive outcome.]

I want to stick the two of these together, but, well, no write ins...

Grigori said:

Also not sure how appropriate projecting suicide onto a muse's life cycle is

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CornyBones said:

Is this suicide prevention? Where is that interpretation coming from?

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*sigh* people really need to reread the quest

yrsillar said:

Ling Qi remained quiet for a moment, observing Sixiang as they turned their face back to the mist shrouded sea. "...I don't blame you for that Dream. It's not like you could stand up to the whole Bloody Moon or...whatever that was."

"Maybe not, but I could have warned you that it was gonna be trouble. I guess I still didn't really get it."

"Get what exactly?" Ling Qi asked, giving the 'water' another dubious look. It looked vaguely like paint.

"Do you remember when we talked about death?" Sixiang asked absently.

Ling Qi nodded slowly. "That was a weird conversation."

"I didn't really understand how it was scary," Sixiang replied. "I guess its because of how I am, fairies, muses die and are born all the time, the way you humans figure things."

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yrsillar said:

Ling Qi did not reply at first, trailing a finger through the water, it felt normal at least. "How old are you Sixiang?"

"How long ago was you're debut party?" Sixiang asked lightly, answering her question obliquely. "Or...it's hard to put it in way you'll get. I have memories way older than that, but 'Sixiang' isn't even a year old. I didn't understand how losing yourself would be scary, after all, all the bits that were you would end up part of something else, and that's fine."

"...You're right. I don't get it," Ling Qi replied slowly. "Why did that change though? ...Did the Bloody Moon threaten you or something?"

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.

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yrsillar said:

Was Sixiang's existence tied that closely to hers? Ling Qi was faintly disturbed by the thought. "I mean, that just makes sense, doesn't it?" Hesitating a moment, Ling Qi reached over and placed her hand on Sixiang's shoulder.

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Sixiang has a human concept of death now, fading away and having "Grandmother" take them apart and reuse the pieces of their self and memories to create an entirely new Sixiang is absolutely "death" to them now.

By Sixiang's current understanding of what death means the only thing that actually stopped them from dying after their temporary body faded away was being bound to us as our spirit. If the bond is broken (whether by our death or releasing them to leave us) Six will fade and die like a normal muse would.