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

[X] The motion, the forward rush, the old foundations grinding down to sand.

Feels more appropriate, given

• Renxiang's upcoming betrothal
• Ling Qi finally opening up to suitors, and
• The Big Gay wedding

All of these give a feel of 'Things Will Never Be The Same Again' vibes to me so I'm going with Motion

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

mmm, yeah. I started leaning towards motion, but now I think I'm leaning maybe more want

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

[x] The motion, the forward rush, the old foundations grinding down to sand.

[X] The motion, the forward rush, the old foundations grinding down to sand.

From what happened in these past two arcs, looking at how people, cities, or cultures change seems much more interesting to investigate.

Ling Qi has changed over the past few months, growing more accepting of romance, that's a change we can definitely look into. The way that old foundations trauma has been ground down into sand.

There might also be a parallel of how the old truma of Xiangmen being under Hui rule is also still being ground down.

With the upcoming adventure with Shu Yue, this might be something to build on more.

How cultures do or don't change is also crucial to why Still Waters Deepning attacked the summit, and the General's way ( stopping / forcing change). If we want to resolve a middle ground here, giving Motion more attention seems important.

I'm sure Sixiang has also changed over this time. Maybe Want would dive into that more, but it's not like this choice ignores them.

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

[X] The motion, the forward rush, the old foundations grinding down to sand.

We've been doing a lot with motion and it feels relevant to Ling Qi's time forced stationary but I do like the hungry want. That core desire Zeqing nurtured so tenderly

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

LQ is working through her trauma post tribulation, let's keep going with that

Winged One said:

It is, because she is Cai Shenhua, but I want to believe it's more about the brides' love for each other.

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This makes me wonder if Cai Shenhua's capacity for love exists precisely because her relationship is itself revolutionary. From Bai Suzhen's interlude:

yrsillar said:

She was the White Blade Devil, The Carver of Roads and Rivers, wielder of the Sovereign word Prosperity. Yet she remained Bai Suzhen. To take the next step would be to surrender even that and become her Law in totality.

"I wonder at that, our ally in the south raises many questions with her existence," Bai Suzhen said.

"Suzhen, it is best not to contemplate another's ascension, that way is futile," her husband sighed. "Particularly with that one."

Suzhen made a sound of agreement and yet she could not forget. She had seen behind the mask of flesh the being which had once been, seen the word which was at her core. It was not a word which should have allowed its wielder love.

That woman was an aberration among aberrations though, Lushen was right.

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Bai Suzhen thinks Cai Shenhua should not be able to love someone else, but since the nature of her love transgresses upon the heteronormativity of the Empire, it does not enter into conflict with her Way.

CommunismWillWin said:

Bai Suzhen thinks Cai Shenhua should not be able to love someone else, but since the nature of her love transgresses upon the heteronormativity of the Empire, it does not enter into conflict with her Way.

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That's not impossible, especially as one contributing factor, but several other bits have heavily implied there's more to it than that.

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

My little theory here is that Ling Qi'll do some musical composing based on which vibe she taps into from the crowd. And that performance'll make its way to the Jia patriarch before we meet them. (Not to imply Ling Qi is special in some way, it's just the kind of intel/rumor network a Sovereign with the epithet "Orator" ought to have- the goings on of the heir's retinue at Xiangmen is something I'd expect them to have an ear to as a matter of course. Entirely routine.)

Also, just reread the end of the update and the prompt for this vote is this:

yrsillar said:

There was something really inviting to this wildness. In the wild festivities whee the veil of what was acceptable and not had been lifted so far… How much of Xiangmen that was never revealed spilled freely into the streets today…

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And reading that, Want definitely seems the obvious choice? Xiangmen isn't all that shy, as a populace, of openly backing Shenhua's reforms and cultural replacements and so on. Not saying there's nothing behind the Motion option, but if you look at what option really invites us to a peak behind the curtain? Which is unique to this opportunity here and now?

It's Want. That which is revealed by the lowering of social barriers. The substance more hidden and constrained, that this moment is a break from the status quo concerning.

And, not to put too fine a point on it, the one where our opportunity to prod Ling Qi into examination thereof is more rarified. We don't have uninhibited crowds of peer+ cultivators partying and letting loose their passions on the regular, for Ling Qi to forget herself within for a moment. By contrast, the machinery of progress and dusting of eons past feels like something we can get our fingers pinched in basically whenever, with a substantial portion of the established cast- it's not a unique opportunity.

Put another way, let's soak in this party for what sets it apart from other situations- the PARTY!!!

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

A fair argument.
[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light

Love how this is shaking out!! Given the nature of what we're witnessing (and the fact that our fellow witness to this is Sixiang!!!) Want feels like the more thematic track here to get the most meaningful insight. I WANT to give Sixiang a big ol kiss on the cheek

[X] The motion, the forward rush, the old foundations grinding down to sand.

[X] The want, the revealed desire, the yearning darkness of the city of glittering light