It's a shame our rolls didn't cooperate with one of the main goals of the sympathetic approach- Ling Qi borderline failed to empathize with the entity, derailing the effort into a watered-down Confident Approach. Between the rolls and Sixiang's help, MoSS didn't get to show its stuff. This line in particular is basically a bald MoSS-failure "It wasn't quite the same as conveying something with music, if only because she wasn't certain she could really understand the creatures perspective well enough to convey her feelings to it." since that's what the art is supposed to do, but Ling Qi needs Sixiang to fill in instead.
But not everything's always going to go smoothly. Was nice to see Sixiang pulling their weight, and the new speech skill is nice. All of these vote options suck, there're no "good" choices, but that's okay too.
[] Refuse, try to offer something lesser still [Ling Qi expends B Rank qi, and permanently lose one of (Abyssal Exhalation, Fallen Star, Argent Storm and Argent Current. Requires a roll of 60+)
This is easily the worst option, even if it didn't require a roll. We shouldn't be trading away portions of our cultivation foundation, even if they're irrelevant, precisely because we know that cultivation narrows and requires cutting away things as one advances. We should never, ever, willingly chip away at past efforts unless they're actually standing in the way of our progress. To volunteer for it, even with "irrelevant" things we've worked on in the past is extraordinarily reckless.
[] Accept Zhengui's offer. [Zhengui expends B Rank qi, receives minor cultivation penalty for the next turn.]
I really don't like how this vote is framed compared to Ling Qi's two. It's comparatively vague, not just mechanically but also thematically. There's no characterization of the impact on Zhengui's cultivation, which lends itself to a reading, whether intentional or not, that the impact is less significant or relevant than Ling Qi's penalty would be. I strongly doubt that the cost would be any less to him than it would be for her. The lack of description echoes past habits of trivializing or deprioritizing his concerns.
For that reason, I don't find the "lets Zhengui make sacrifices too" narrative argument convincing. It's letting him sacrifice his growth, which is at the very core of what Ling Qi needs to learn to value in others as strength of her own, as aptly summarized by Alingge. Adopting a calculus that weighs his sacrifice as less harmful, rather than his contributions as equally valid, is fraught, and I'm not certain we're firmly in the territory of the second rather than the first.
However, that's not to say this option doesn't offer narrative opportunities. One of my complaints is that Ling Qi doesn't really pay attention to Zhengui more than superficially. Directly observing an heretofore unknown dream/aspiration/motivation/goal of Zhengui's in the process of him giving it up for destruction to our benefit is a good way to learn something new about the guy and drive home to Ling Qi the significance of his internal world. Seeing an aspiration only in the context of its literal, metaphysical, destruction is poignant. I'd expect the experience to keep her focused on the mission, but in a contemplative way.
[X] Do it yourself and offer a Dream of songs and starless nights, [Ling Qi expends B rank qi, receives a -.2 multiplier to spiritual cultivation for the next turn.]
I mean, it'd suck for cultivation, but I don't see any particular reason to care about it beyond that. "Songs and starless nights" doesn't track strongly to imminent narratively prominent projects, that I can think of. There definitely are songs we're planning to cultivate, but, like, a looooot of them. Enough that it kind of melds together. Plus, losing a Dream of songs is a bit different from exploring the codified meaning of Music Arts.
[] Do it yourself and offer a dream of motion and bright days, [Ling Qi expends B rank qi, receives a -.2 multiplier to physical cultivation for the next turn.]
This, however, screams really strongly of Laughing Flight of the Wind Thief to me. Even if there isn't a mechanical penalty attached to it, capturing the joy and freedom of Wind Thief's windier movement style is something that feels a little fragile in Ling Qi, not unlike Ling Qi's shave with misunderstanding PLR. Rote learning is something she can plod through regardless, but the properly fun attitude for the art isn't a guarantee. Walking into the first turn of its cultivation with this option hanging around our neck is hobbling that narrative.
but not something I want to encourage.
