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

Oh no. We spent an entire vote worrying about pricking Wang Chao's pride, so why is the currently-winning vote to jump right into implying he isn't good enough to handle the training himself? Because trapping us on that now without the reminder would be more than fair.

[X] Try to arrange weekly training sessions for the next month with just Zhengui, Wang Chao and yourself. (More focused training, higher but more narrow skill bonuses, Zhengui gets better martial training.)

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

Anderein said:

Oh no. We spent an entire vote worrying about pricking Wang Chao's pride, so why is the currently-winning vote to jump right into implying he isn't good enough to handle the training himself? Because trapping us on that now without the reminder would be more than fair.

[X] Try to arrange weekly training sessions for the next month with just Zhengui, Wang Chao and yourself. (More focused training, higher but more narrow skill bonuses, Zhengui gets better martial training.)

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It has nothing to do with Wang's capability as a tutor, its that the social opportunities r good for both us and ZG. We need to branch out, network and train with others to be ready for the coming war, not just build a relationship with Wang. And right ZG's entire world consists of Hanyi and LQ, and to lesser extent Six and LQ's human family. He was friends with Linhuo but she left with Gu Xiulian. He's also friends with Cui but we don't see them interact much. ZG's world shouldn't be small or limited, he should be able to branch out, socialize and learn from other cultivators rather than just depending on LQ. It would be healthier for both him and LQ.
LQ is his mom, whether she admits it or not, and she needs to let him grow and explore the world eventually. LQ also has some growing up to do herself. She got some new viewpoints from new acquaintances here that she wouldn't have heard had they all been sparring together. Now that she has the opportunity, she should take and learn to see how her perspective of things might be flawed. It would be better for both her and her spirits.

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

I'm going to vote for this option because I feel my argument previously still holds water. I don't want Zhengui to simply be something that pops up on the battlefield and helps us out, I want Zhengui to be more involved with Ling Qi's life and ambitions, and maybe start developing ambitions of his own and looking for ways to accomplish those. In that vein, I think that a broader, albeit lower, skill bonuses will serve Zhengui well. He'll learn how to deal with other cultivators, he'll learn a little bit more about the political games that cultivators can play and maybe make more friends with the others.

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

I like both choices, but it'll be good for zhengui to interact and learn from multiple partners.

Alright @Huo Yuhao you have convinced me

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

Because it seems the most interesting story-wise.

Also,

"Perhaps not, Sir Ling, but there is nothing more to be gained. I have your measure. Anything more will need to involve Miss Ling," Wang Chaos called down from the top of the crater. He was dusty and a bit scorched, but otherwise unharmed.

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Wang Chaos? That's an interesting typo.

Hmm. Looking at Ling Qi's thought processes, I think there's some definite parallels between her and some of Ling Qingge's missteps in raising Ling Qi. There's genuine love for sure, but also unfair expectations and pushing responsibility onto the kids for things they can't really help, nor should have to. Both doing their best while not really knowing what they're doing.

Bleh. Guess I should vote.

[X] Try to arrange weekly training sessions for the next month with just Zhengui, Wang Chao and yourself. (More focused training, higher but more narrow skill bonuses, Zhengui gets better martial training.)

They're both fine, I just feel like fewer moving parts right now. This has the fewest, so should get us a tighter, cozier view of whatever narrative unfolds.

I guess there's also a minor worry of going Social! here cluttering up the Cai party with a lot of side characters, when it's about fulfilling our Renxiang task by continuing to get to know Xuan Shi better. Fewer distractions are better there, I think, if we're going to continue rededicating ourselves to our job.

[x] Try to arrange weekly training sessions for the next month with just Zhengui, Wang Chao and yourself. (More focused training, higher but more narrow skill bonuses, Zhengui gets better martial training.)

Not only do i care little about the social link towards the others but i also think it's objectively much better to focus whatever social gain on just one person for a deeper relationship than to spread it around resulting in "many" shallow ones.

AbeoLogos said:

Hmm. Looking at Ling Qi's thought processes, I think there's some definite parallels between her and some of Ling Qingge's missteps in raising Ling Qi. There's genuine love for sure, but also unfair expectations and pushing responsibility onto the kids for things they can't really help, nor should have to.

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I feel like that's the opposite of her problem. She has consistently coddled Zhengui to the point that he has felt stifled and what responsibilities he has are those he asked for, sometimes over her objections. His big request is essentially that she stop treating him like a child and allow him to help her. Rather than having unfair expectations, she is underestimating him. Here she was consistently worrying about him getting hurt, where it looks like he had barely taken any damage at all until that final attack.

She's erring by trying to do the exact opposite of how she was raised by Qingge and the streets but spirits are a lot tougher than young humans, even before they get to Green/Bronze.

JohnnieBoy123 said:

I feel like that's the opposite of her problem. She has consistently coddled Zhengui to the point that he has felt stifled and what responsibilities he has are those he asked for, sometimes over her objections. His big request is essentially that she stop treating him like a child and allow him to help her. Rather than having unfair expectations, she is underestimating him. Here she was consistently worrying about him getting hurt, where it looks like he had barely taken any damage at all until that final attack.

She's erring by trying to do the exact opposite of how she was raised by Qingge and the streets but spirits are a lot tougher than young humans, even before they get to Green/Bronze.

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Those aren't really opposites. At least, not in the sense I meant. She can simultaneously be helicoptering over him while having unfair thoughts about how wouldn't it be so convenient if he were stronger. She is simultaneously doing those.

Three characters called her out on her unreasonable expectations, and the way she approaches them, in this update. Including Sixiang, who has a lot more backstage access to what's going on in her head, so it's not just a matter of her misspeaking or people making assumptions.

JohnnieBoy123 said:

She's erring by trying to do the exact opposite of how she was raised by Qingge and the streets but spirits are a lot tougher than young humans, even before they get to Green/Bronze.

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no there were two parts of our growing up. Coddled/protected from the cruelty and hardship of the world, in which we are given many things but also extremely high expectations. The second part was striking out on our own because mom couldn't protect us forever and we might be safer in icy shadows than a coddled hearth.

I believe that this vote is interesting. Abeo is right about the moving parts bit, but I have viewed Threads as the "Social Connections" book where we learn to take this aspect of cultivation fully seriously and begin weaving our webs lest we become captive marionette to the Social

Because YRS is attempting to add social events integrated with cultivation (like this 4 part string of notes we're on) more moving parts allows YRS more freedom in drafting social bits to spice up all the time of practice we wouldn't see otherwise. Luo's hunting party is one event. CRX's dinner parties are another. Music Club is now an excellent thing. Tea Time is excellent (that's like Meizhen n CRX, but I bet we could do our own Tea Times at home like we did with Su Ling). Adding a Wang-Gang practice club that has overlap with Luo's group would be good for Luo-Wang-Cai relations yes?

I like all of these events because they aren't pressuring BaoQian to be where we get socially adventurous. We can be sincere talking about our socialization experiences with him, talking about how we're very comfortable with Clear Direct Sincere Boundaries and socially nebulous socializing is super uncomfortable for us. I'm not exactly trying to make sure he's our marriage candidate but he seems decent and as long as he's here other clans will have to think twice about sending suitors to compete. It's a good working relationship, and can be our safe potentially romantic friend-that-is-male for awhile.

We are fairly crippled socially. It's part of our start from Forge and while we certainly made lots of progress in Forge, we're still learning how to use this atrophied social-side of ourselves. The social war is just as dangerous as physical or spiritual war, and we need to learn the tools for it. Trial by nearly-too-much is how we learn best right? haha

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

I basically think that the broader benefits, broader social integration, more color, more flavor, more friendship, more threads! More Threads! More Threads Good! <3

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

[X] You have been trying to improve your social game. Keep pushing it. See if you can arrange something with not only Wang Chao, but also Alingge, Liang He and possibly others. (Social Benefits. Less focused training. Lower but wider skill bonuses. Zhengui gets more experience with other cultivators.)

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