Return of the Stellar Empress [Worm/Xainxia]
- Thread starter Darkphoenixlady
- Start date
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
She is a frog in a well, that very carefully eats with it's eyes closed.
I'm sure everyone knows someone like that, to whom reality is but a suggestion to be interpreted in their favour, or ignored if that's not possible.
- Location
- England
Random 'your' typo.
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
See the quote from chapter 1, and the weird flash of memory she had.
- Location
- Missouri
There are far too many people out there who are used to their social influence meaning they can do whatever they want and get away with it because they can make enough fuss the cops will actually do something about it if they get punched in the mouth.
- Location
- Hot Springs
The thing that gets me with that (realistic) observation, you have to SURVIVE getting hit to complain. When your dealing with someone that FORGES DEAD STARS INTO WEAPONS, and wears silks capable of tanking a fucking NUKE strike, surviving is NOT in any way guaranteed, or realistic!
- Location
- United States
There are many stupid people in the world that are alive only because it's not worth the jail time to kill them.
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Now consider that people like that tend to be very shallow and judge people based on their appearance and mannerisms rather than their history. What did the Empress look like in the foyer, with her fine silks and a baby in her arms.
The Empress doesn't behave like people imagine a Tyrant should do. But then, neither do any of the real tyrants that were elected into power.
She's also got the fact she's female working against her, as people like that tend to put women into the soft and harmless category. At which point, they start working off of "common sense" and everyone knows that you can't forge stars into swords, and that silks can stop arrows, so why not bullets.
Tisaku
Head Chief Thinkomancer
spatial
a
-altitude where the curvature is really apparent is 50000ft. Time of useful consiousness at that altitude is measured in seconds. Single digit seconds. Empress needs to do something to maintain pressure and temperature. They're looking at around -70° up there.-
Wards
you're
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- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
She was, just not obviously.
- Location
- Missouri
I mean, given her level of power I figured it wasn't even really a conscious thing. She wants there to be a comfortable environment in defiance of all physics, physics asks her if she'd prefer still air or a light breeze.
Glossary
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Note, there are the occasional notes from Stellar Empress in here. Let me know if there's any other terms you want added.
For those that are unfamiliar with Xianxia, - https://www.reddit.com/r/Progressio...brief_introduction_to_the_wonderful_world_of/
For some musing on the fundamentals of Cultivation An Articulation of Forms: Metaphysics of Cultivation Alchemy
Mortal Cultivation Stages
Types of Dao
Abstract - An abstract Dao deals with philosophical concepts such as Truth, Justice, Honesty, Law, Freedom, etc.
Knowledge - A knowledge Dao deals with understanding some aspect of the physical world, such as Life, Death, Light, Sound, Earth, Planet, Fire, Space, Time, etc.
Physical - A physical Dao deals with something the cultivator can do, such as Sword, Spear, Stealth, Fist, etc.
Hybrid - A Hybrid Dao is one that crosses between two or more of the other types of Dao, such as Appraisal, Perspective, Integrity, Illusion, etc.
Frog in a well - There's a whole story about this, but it basically means that someone has a very narrow world view.
Eat with eyes closed - Again, there's a whole story about this. More than one if I'm honest. But it means someone that is deliberately ignoring what their eyes can see... Dakala's just told me that's called wilful ignorance.
Crabs in a bucket - I just overheard this term being used. It means people that drag each other down whenever they try to escape their miserable situation.
For those that are unfamiliar with Xianxia, - https://www.reddit.com/r/Progressio...brief_introduction_to_the_wonderful_world_of/
For some musing on the fundamentals of Cultivation An Articulation of Forms: Metaphysics of Cultivation Alchemy
Mortal Cultivation Stages
- Qi cycling.
- Essence gathering - You are a cultivator when you reach this stage
- Foundation establishment
- Core Formation
- Golden core - This is really just the same stage as the last one, but I guess there's a difference in qi quality
- Flying immortal - This doesn't mean you can't learn to fly earlier. This is just the stage where you can do it for as long as you want.
- Nascent Soul - Another misleading name. You already have a soul, but now you can survive without your body for a while.
- Body Refining - Because cultivators are vain creatures who change their bodies to suit their own self image.
- Ascendent hopeful
- Ascended immortal - now immortal and can breach heaven
Types of Dao
Abstract - An abstract Dao deals with philosophical concepts such as Truth, Justice, Honesty, Law, Freedom, etc.
Knowledge - A knowledge Dao deals with understanding some aspect of the physical world, such as Life, Death, Light, Sound, Earth, Planet, Fire, Space, Time, etc.
Physical - A physical Dao deals with something the cultivator can do, such as Sword, Spear, Stealth, Fist, etc.
Hybrid - A Hybrid Dao is one that crosses between two or more of the other types of Dao, such as Appraisal, Perspective, Integrity, Illusion, etc.
Frog in a well - There's a whole story about this, but it basically means that someone has a very narrow world view.
Eat with eyes closed - Again, there's a whole story about this. More than one if I'm honest. But it means someone that is deliberately ignoring what their eyes can see... Dakala's just told me that's called wilful ignorance.
Crabs in a bucket - I just overheard this term being used. It means people that drag each other down whenever they try to escape their miserable situation.
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Cutting room floor - Chapter 18 - Missy goes to get changed.
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
As soon as Missy disappears from view the Empress turns to the bickering couple."Cynthia, I can call you Cynthia can't I?"
Cynthia scowls at the Empress, "I don't talk to murderers."
"Devon, don't go away, this involves you too. Now, you see, I've been voluntarily living under the Mandate of Heaven since I arrived. But you're both pushing my buttons really hard here. So I'm going to do something for you."
"If you don't get out of my house, I'm going to call 911."
The Empress smiles, "Oh, have no fear, we're all going to be leaving the house. Come along."
Cynthia startles when her legs start moving on their own and she and Devon both follow the Empress out into the suddenly darkened street. A bolt of lightning falls out of the sky and harmlessly lands on the Empress' head.
The Empress looks up, "I suppose I am kidnapping you, and it will feel like torture. But don't worry, you'll have a wonderful few of the stars and Earth."
Cynthia tries to struggle as the three of them rise into the air to the sound of repeated lightning strikes. Soon enough they rise above the clouds and continue to accelerate into the sky.
A few minutes later they've left Earth far behind and a red planet is looming large in front of them.
As they get closer, a large glowing circle appears, that is easily the size of their shared house. When they land, the Empress places a large hand pump with two handles along with a heavy oak chest that's too wide for one person to reach across, with latches on either side of the lid.
With an angelic smile, the Empress turns back to the two adults, "I'm leaving this here for you to enjoy your vacation. There's a single tent, camping supplies, and food in the chest, while the pump will need both of you in order to operate. I'm going to take your daughter to every Disney park in the world and then see what else she wants to do."
A moment later she disappears.
Cynthia scowls at the Empress, "I don't talk to murderers."
"Devon, don't go away, this involves you too. Now, you see, I've been voluntarily living under the Mandate of Heaven since I arrived. But you're both pushing my buttons really hard here. So I'm going to do something for you."
"If you don't get out of my house, I'm going to call 911."
The Empress smiles, "Oh, have no fear, we're all going to be leaving the house. Come along."
Cynthia startles when her legs start moving on their own and she and Devon both follow the Empress out into the suddenly darkened street. A bolt of lightning falls out of the sky and harmlessly lands on the Empress' head.
The Empress looks up, "I suppose I am kidnapping you, and it will feel like torture. But don't worry, you'll have a wonderful few of the stars and Earth."
Cynthia tries to struggle as the three of them rise into the air to the sound of repeated lightning strikes. Soon enough they rise above the clouds and continue to accelerate into the sky.
A few minutes later they've left Earth far behind and a red planet is looming large in front of them.
As they get closer, a large glowing circle appears, that is easily the size of their shared house. When they land, the Empress places a large hand pump with two handles along with a heavy oak chest that's too wide for one person to reach across, with latches on either side of the lid.
With an angelic smile, the Empress turns back to the two adults, "I'm leaving this here for you to enjoy your vacation. There's a single tent, camping supplies, and food in the chest, while the pump will need both of you in order to operate. I'm going to take your daughter to every Disney park in the world and then see what else she wants to do."
A moment later she disappears.
MaimakteriAnn
(Verified Sleepy)
- Location
- Enormous And Round Terran Homeworld
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Dr
Not related to 'lobsters in a bucket', although that absolutely also applies to missy's parents -.-
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm not familiar with that one
Isiri Pudireach
Predictive text can go duck itself
Probably a different wording of the crab bucket problem. Basically, if the crabs in a bucket worked together, they could all get out. But instead they choose to drag eachother down trying to climb to the top. This is a thing irl, not a folktale or myth btw.
MaimakteriAnn
(Verified Sleepy)
- Location
- Enormous And Round Terran Homeworld
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Dr
What Isiri said. Both of Missy's parents could be happy, if it wasnt more important to them that the other was unhappy.
Cutting Room Floor - Chapter 14-15 - A truant officer catches the Empress
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Shortly after the tea demonstration has finished, but before Missy's mother returns. A man that looks like he's a few years away from retirement staggers through the door to the tea shop holding a photo in one hand.
As the Empress turns towards him, he exclaims, "Ha, found you. Taylor Hebert, you have been delinquent for too long. You can either return to school tomorrow, or you will be taken into foster care, and sent to school anyway."
Michelle lays a calming hand on the Empress' shoulder before saying, "They teach people to read in schools."
The Empress nods in acknowledgement before saying, "I will let your rudeness pass this once. Tell the educational establishment that I will be there."
The man nods and adds, "You better, and wear something appropriate for a school environment, not a runway."
The next morning the Empress is dressed in the only clothes Danka and Sue could find that didn't leave her looking like she'd stepped out of a makeup studio, namely a baggy hoodie and loose jeans. Her knee length hair has been looped up so that it sits in the hood of the hoodie. As she walks up the stairs to the school a red headed girl calls out, "Why don't you crawl back into the gutter where you belong."
The Empress makes a note of the girl that said that before she makes her way to the principals office to arrange for remedial English lessons.
An hour later she's sitting in a class called science as the teacher scribbles something on the blackboard, "Today we're looking at Newton's first law of motion, 'An object in motion will remain in motion unless acted on by an outside force.' Yes Miss Hebert?"
The Empress lowers her hand, "That's not true, it will eventually evaporate."
"While that is one interpretation of the second law of thermodynamics, yes Miss Hebert."
"What are the laws of thermodynamics?"
The teacher sighs, "The first law is the conservation of energy, this says that energy can neither be created or destroyed."
"That is wrong, Energy is created and destroyed all the time."
"Miss Hebert, we aren't due to cover thermodynamics until next year. However this law has been rigorously tested, and with the discovery of other realities even parahuman abilities have been shown to comply with this law."
The Empress shakes her head, "The soul produces qi, and the body consumes qi. When the soul can no longer produce enough qi to maintain the body, the body dies and the soul releases the rest of its qi to the world, creating more life. It's why a dead body is lighter than a living body."
"Miss Hebert, discussions about the existence of the soul belong in… What did you do?"
The Empress looks at the glowing light on the tip of her finger before looking back at the mousy girl that put spikes on her chair. "I removed her soul. She'll be fine for another score of heartbeats. This is a mortal soul, as you can see…"
"Put it back, put it back!"
The Empress rolls her eyes and flicks the soul back into the girls body.
As the girl's complexion starts to regain colour, the teacher says, "Class dismissed, Julia help me get Madison to the school nurse."
At lunch time, the Empress makes her way up to the roof to check on the progress of the nascent heavens. There she finds the red haired girl along with a dark skinned girl jeering at a girl with black hair and East Mediterranean features.
"What? Are you going to finally jump and put yourself out of our misery?"
The Empress stops behind the two girls and coughs, "Excuse me, I'd rather not be participating, but the government insists that I do."
The red head turns around and sneers, "What is it Tay Tay, here to join Charlotte in throwing yourself off the building?"
The Empress cocks her head, "No, I'll just fly. I actually wanted to verify the claims of a few fairy tales I've heard."
Her hands lash out faster than the eye can see, and there's a sickening squelch as two hearts seem to appear in her hands.
As the two girls stare stupidly at her hands as their knees slowly give way, the Empress hums, "No, they look like perfectly normal mortal hearts, not shrivelled and blackened in any way. Now which one belongs to each of you?"
She puts one of the hearts in the red heads hand, "Is this your heart?"
The red head nods vigorously and tries to put the heart back in her chest. The Empress smiles sympathetically as she takes the heart and gently puts it back in the gaping hole, "There we go, all better now. Let me do the other girl's heart and then I'll heal you all up and clean up the blood. That way it will be just like new and nobody will be able to tell any different. I'll even repair your clothes for you too. Would you like that?"
The red head nods weakly as the Empress places the other heart in the dark skinned girls chest, ignoring the wisps of smoke that keep trying to escape her skin. She leans her head to one side as the girl manages to spit at her. As she starts healing them, the Empress whispers to the dark skinned girl, "Now now, you wouldn't want to get in trouble, or meet me in the shadows, would you?"
As the golden light of healing dies away, leaving only pristine clothing and unmarred skin behind, the Empress walks over to the girl at the corner of the roof.
"Hey there, why don't we go downstairs and get you something to eat."
The girl nods fearfully as the Empress takes her hand and leads her to the stairs. As they start walking down the stairs the Empress says, "I'm the Stellar Empress, what's your name?"
"Char-Charlotte. D-did you have t-to do that?"
The Empress glances up the stairs, "The illusion? Not really, it's just easier on the cleaning up than doing it for real."
"Illusion?"
The Empress nods, "Yes."
"Why did you save me? I'm not worth it, I watch them push you into the locker and did nothing."
"Hmm, I didn't do it for you. I did it to them. Why? Because I've heard their whispers and bullying since I arrived in this world."
In World Issues the Empress ends up in a group with a couple of boys as the girl that left spikes on her chair doesn't turn up. During the class they're tasked with talking about an independent hero. The Empress chose to talk about Razor, a hero in Africa who operates in Moord Nag's territory and is known for his bloody take down of the guards to her flesh farms. One of which she describes in lurid detail, before talking about how his reputation has cut down on how many guards he has to kill while freeing the prisoners. By the time she's finished speaking, Mr Gladly, the teacher, has already left the classroom carrying the trash can.
After her remedial English class she heads back to the pagoda, where Dragon informs her that the administration asked that she not return.
As the Empress turns towards him, he exclaims, "Ha, found you. Taylor Hebert, you have been delinquent for too long. You can either return to school tomorrow, or you will be taken into foster care, and sent to school anyway."
Michelle lays a calming hand on the Empress' shoulder before saying, "They teach people to read in schools."
The Empress nods in acknowledgement before saying, "I will let your rudeness pass this once. Tell the educational establishment that I will be there."
The man nods and adds, "You better, and wear something appropriate for a school environment, not a runway."
The next morning the Empress is dressed in the only clothes Danka and Sue could find that didn't leave her looking like she'd stepped out of a makeup studio, namely a baggy hoodie and loose jeans. Her knee length hair has been looped up so that it sits in the hood of the hoodie. As she walks up the stairs to the school a red headed girl calls out, "Why don't you crawl back into the gutter where you belong."
The Empress makes a note of the girl that said that before she makes her way to the principals office to arrange for remedial English lessons.
An hour later she's sitting in a class called science as the teacher scribbles something on the blackboard, "Today we're looking at Newton's first law of motion, 'An object in motion will remain in motion unless acted on by an outside force.' Yes Miss Hebert?"
The Empress lowers her hand, "That's not true, it will eventually evaporate."
"While that is one interpretation of the second law of thermodynamics, yes Miss Hebert."
"What are the laws of thermodynamics?"
The teacher sighs, "The first law is the conservation of energy, this says that energy can neither be created or destroyed."
"That is wrong, Energy is created and destroyed all the time."
"Miss Hebert, we aren't due to cover thermodynamics until next year. However this law has been rigorously tested, and with the discovery of other realities even parahuman abilities have been shown to comply with this law."
The Empress shakes her head, "The soul produces qi, and the body consumes qi. When the soul can no longer produce enough qi to maintain the body, the body dies and the soul releases the rest of its qi to the world, creating more life. It's why a dead body is lighter than a living body."
"Miss Hebert, discussions about the existence of the soul belong in… What did you do?"
The Empress looks at the glowing light on the tip of her finger before looking back at the mousy girl that put spikes on her chair. "I removed her soul. She'll be fine for another score of heartbeats. This is a mortal soul, as you can see…"
"Put it back, put it back!"
The Empress rolls her eyes and flicks the soul back into the girls body.
As the girl's complexion starts to regain colour, the teacher says, "Class dismissed, Julia help me get Madison to the school nurse."
At lunch time, the Empress makes her way up to the roof to check on the progress of the nascent heavens. There she finds the red haired girl along with a dark skinned girl jeering at a girl with black hair and East Mediterranean features.
"What? Are you going to finally jump and put yourself out of our misery?"
The Empress stops behind the two girls and coughs, "Excuse me, I'd rather not be participating, but the government insists that I do."
The red head turns around and sneers, "What is it Tay Tay, here to join Charlotte in throwing yourself off the building?"
The Empress cocks her head, "No, I'll just fly. I actually wanted to verify the claims of a few fairy tales I've heard."
Her hands lash out faster than the eye can see, and there's a sickening squelch as two hearts seem to appear in her hands.
As the two girls stare stupidly at her hands as their knees slowly give way, the Empress hums, "No, they look like perfectly normal mortal hearts, not shrivelled and blackened in any way. Now which one belongs to each of you?"
She puts one of the hearts in the red heads hand, "Is this your heart?"
The red head nods vigorously and tries to put the heart back in her chest. The Empress smiles sympathetically as she takes the heart and gently puts it back in the gaping hole, "There we go, all better now. Let me do the other girl's heart and then I'll heal you all up and clean up the blood. That way it will be just like new and nobody will be able to tell any different. I'll even repair your clothes for you too. Would you like that?"
The red head nods weakly as the Empress places the other heart in the dark skinned girls chest, ignoring the wisps of smoke that keep trying to escape her skin. She leans her head to one side as the girl manages to spit at her. As she starts healing them, the Empress whispers to the dark skinned girl, "Now now, you wouldn't want to get in trouble, or meet me in the shadows, would you?"
As the golden light of healing dies away, leaving only pristine clothing and unmarred skin behind, the Empress walks over to the girl at the corner of the roof.
"Hey there, why don't we go downstairs and get you something to eat."
The girl nods fearfully as the Empress takes her hand and leads her to the stairs. As they start walking down the stairs the Empress says, "I'm the Stellar Empress, what's your name?"
"Char-Charlotte. D-did you have t-to do that?"
The Empress glances up the stairs, "The illusion? Not really, it's just easier on the cleaning up than doing it for real."
"Illusion?"
The Empress nods, "Yes."
"Why did you save me? I'm not worth it, I watch them push you into the locker and did nothing."
"Hmm, I didn't do it for you. I did it to them. Why? Because I've heard their whispers and bullying since I arrived in this world."
In World Issues the Empress ends up in a group with a couple of boys as the girl that left spikes on her chair doesn't turn up. During the class they're tasked with talking about an independent hero. The Empress chose to talk about Razor, a hero in Africa who operates in Moord Nag's territory and is known for his bloody take down of the guards to her flesh farms. One of which she describes in lurid detail, before talking about how his reputation has cut down on how many guards he has to kill while freeing the prisoners. By the time she's finished speaking, Mr Gladly, the teacher, has already left the classroom carrying the trash can.
After her remedial English class she heads back to the pagoda, where Dragon informs her that the administration asked that she not return.
I'm just going to say this before I start reading. The only cultivation stories I have liked are the ones that focused on the world of cultivation as a whole, with cultivation being a side, sub-plot, or just part of the background. This sounds like such a story, with the MC returning home after a long journey away, and everyone believably reacting to the only cultivation charcter in the story.
But if this is the type that can be summarized as "Self autobiography of a Karen who got the universe's manager to listen to them", or just a simple overpowered Mary Sue, please stop me. 😅🙈
But if this is the type that can be summarized as "Self autobiography of a Karen who got the universe's manager to listen to them", or just a simple overpowered Mary Sue, please stop me. 😅🙈
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I hope it's the former, let me know if it's the latter.
Nihilo
Authorial parasite
- Location
- Catalonia
You're good. Story's fine.
Doing good so far!
- Location
- uk
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Sadly, it's not canon, so probably not unless someone else wants to write it.