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

This was mortifying.

Ling Qi had not thought through exactly how her domain would interact with her friends during sparring in the few days since her domain integration, something for which she really should have and was regretting now.

When they had first began, Ling Qi was eager to see how the newly improved defences of her mist matched up to her friends attacks. Those thoughts has quickly vanished when multiple phantoms had immediately tried attaching themselves to Meizhen the moment they were expressed.

She had immediately banished them along with her mist in what was probably not the most dignified way, although thankfully Meizhen was too polite to comment beyond a raised eyebrow, and after what was significantly more effort than it really should have been between attempting to manually control phantoms and pulling away her whole mists, she had at least managed not to bury Meizhen in misty figures anymore...

She really should have thought that through.

Although nowhere near as bad as her embarrassment those first few minutes, the rest of the session had proven rather uncomfortable. In addition to blunting her friend's attacks, her mists has also acted to protect Meizhen the moment her concentration slipped. She would sing into being a frigid wind and a shadowy phantom would jump in the way before it could reach her friend, or she would send ghostly revellers forward only for them to get turned around in the mist.

It was a little absurd, and felt uncomfortably like she was slapping herself in the face.

Which just made her more embarrassed.

At least it didn't seem she was alone. By the end of the session even her friends stoic control seemed to be slipping.

If Xuilan were still here she definitely wouldn't be so reserved, Ling Qi thought sadly. The jokes would have lasted months...

Shaking off that thought and looking back on the session, Ling Qi had to admit it had at least been productive. Her control and improved greatly, mostly by necessity. Still, there would be some aspects of her domain that would be difficult to practise in a one on one session, maybe she could sit in on her friends spars and try to defend them from each other using purely her domain? It could be good practise for them too in terms of fighting with and against support arts.

Something to think on. Looking to the sky Ling Qi saw she should probably get going for now though.

"So, I'll see you later then?" She asked her friend somewhat tentatively.

---

This was a relief.

Bai Meizhen had been curious to see what her friend's domain would become after Ling Qi had completed her integration. Oh, she had had some idea. Ling Qi's domain was always more of a defensive measure.

What she hadn't expected was for her to be immediately... glomped... by small children with her friend's likeness.

Although perhaps not too surprising in hindsight, Bai Meizhen had to admit.

Still, once the surprise had worn off and the somewhat embarrassed atmosphere had passed (for herself at least, Ling Qi was still having a bit of trouble making eye contact in the lulls between fiercer combat), Bai Meizhen had been able to give her friends domain a more clinical look.

It was obvious Ling Qi had integrated her Forgotten Vale Melody into her domain weapon, although the way the phantoms had shifted from more predatory forms to... their current forms, Bai Meizhen had some trouble finding appropriate words... but it was quite obviously derived from Ling Qi's situation prior to arriving at the Sect. It reminded Bai Meizhen of a talk the two of them had had last year, how she could not truly understand Ling Qi's experience of animal desperation to survive as opposed to her families more controlled training, and whilst still true she thought that perhaps she had gained a slightly better understanding of Ling Qi's past.

It wasn't a comforting thought, but not one she could regret either.

Other than that, another factor that Bai Meizhen mused might have influenced the domain was herself. A famous aspect of Bai Clan arts, perhaps second only to the fame of their poisons, has always been their defensive potency, but also the ability of those defences to punish attackers. Looking at the way the phantoms of her friend's domain had faced largely outwards from herself, ready to both take attacks and savage attackers at once, it reminded her of that same aspect in many of her own arts. Whether this was merely a coincidence or not was difficult to determine though.

Beyond these two things however, the very first and by far most obvious aspect of her friend's domain that Bai Meizhen had observed was the lack of control, beyond even what was typical of a freshly integrated domain...

Bai Meizhen could relate.

She had integrated her own domain weapon not too long ago, and was quite pleased with the results in her first few practises... until she had met up with Ling Qi for sparring.

The way the offensive aspects of her domain had slid off of Ling Qi had been infuriating and mortifying in equal measure; no matter how she had tried to direct the spiritual attacks they seemed to slide off like water. Thankfully Ling Qi herself did not appear to realise exactly what was happening; those aspects of Bai Meizhen's domain being less immediately tangible meant her failures were somewhat hidden, but she was still certain Ling Qi noticed something odd in the last few sessions. It would be hard not to.

Still, at least she had been afforded that mercy, something her friend had decidedly not, Bai Meizhen thought as another phantom brushed past her hand. At least they were no longer latching on to it.

On the bright side of the river, Bai Meizhen now knew she wasn't alone in her troubles, hence her relief. She did not believe these sorts of problems were ones most Bai faced.

And besides, this may have been rather embarrassing to begin with, but as the fighting continued and her friend's techniques were foiled by her own domain the humour of the situation as a whole had begun to dawn on her, enough that at a few points she had had some trouble controlling her expression. Her own and her friend's troubles weren't really problems outside of sparring after all, and may even be a boon in forcing them to learn greater control.

She should probably explain her own similar troubles to Ling Qi soon, although that would have to wait until next time. Hopefully by then she will have figured out what to say in the first place.

With a start Bai Meizhen realized her friend had spoken and was waiting for a reply. Qi really was a bad influence on her, she thought lightly, that she would become lost in her thoughts so.

"...yes, until next time Ling Qi."​