Hmm. Xin didn't put herself out there like I was hoping, in our little discussion. Guess I should have anticipated that, and if I had I would have gone for Isolation, since it feels like it would've cut to something much more personal. Maybe. Anywho....
[ ] spoke. "I can finally answer your question. Boundaries and borders, liminal things, where things and people meet, that is my study, what was yours, Elder?"
This one's interesting, because playing around with Boundaries has come up, most visibly in our Dreamwalking. But conceptually it's also present elsewhere. Meditations on the separation between human and spirit. Our big project, and a good chunk of our domestic politics, is to wrestle with the divisions between peoples. And we've been probing the distinction between history and life lived today, not to mention the histories lost or deliberately forgotten. Lots of fun angles and nuance to play with.
It's a just a tiny bit awkward that we haven't really done Boundaries with the thing that introduced it to our character sheet: Formations. Specially since that's the context of the reference to past conversation that Ling Qi's making here. It's not the end of the world, but it kind of rings hollow. Abstract philosophical applications of a craft's conceptual basis is usually a sign of advanced practice/comprehension, so there's an argument that it's kind of impressive actually, but I'm scratching my head to think of a time we've literally ever done Boundaries formation work, and I'm honestly coming up with a blank. Maybe some tiny facet of the aborted garden project with Zhengui? It's also not a Concept, despite that being closer to the utilization we've made of it, practically and philosophically.
Anyway, I'm nitpicking. It's a good choice with a lot of material to work with which is easy to tie into our projects and aspirations.
[ ] spoke. "I have already said it. Your words were true. But I do not regret it, because it needs to be done, and no one else would do it right."
This one's resonant for pretty obvious reasons. Jiao and Ling Qi have something in common. The wisdom to see the wrong in the world and the arrogance to step forwards to meet it. Lots for them to talk/Jiao to call her dumb about. Extra poignant because it's a Path that Jiao has abandoned.
What's interesting about it, what validates her claim that nobody else would do it right, her virtue comes down to differences in their philosophy, and that's basically all tied up in the philosophizing on Boundaries and borders I mentioned above. Isn't it? The willingness and ability to examine what does and does not separate peoples across distinctions of culture, time, history, cultivation, spiritual connection, and kinship.
I dunno, I might be spinning the ol' mental tires in mental muck here, but right now I'm thinking I won't vote for either option. Neither feels complete enough, either in its homage to Jiao's tutorship, or in vindicating Ling Qi's Path in this parting offering. The first choice is unquestionably the superior callback to the disciple/elder dynamic they shared, but it lacks some follow through in stated purpose and lands a bit fragile thanks to no serious Formations development. The second option is bold and pregnant with drive towards the future, but it's light on the context of her means or methods to justify her surety.
There's strong appeal in both, but despite that, or maybe because of it, neither of them really feels whole. Can't help it, both feel like half-truths. So...
I abstain.
