Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
- Location
- Greece
Ok, if you find that subplot boring, it is your prerogative. I like it much much more than I thought I would, personally, but fair opinions are fair and tastes are tastes.
I disagree quite strongly, however, in the going backwards part. From my reading of the book, she is traumatized and she just came back from a meeting with her... well, normally I would say "abuser", but Shenhua is so alien that I'll just say "recurring traumatic event". When she feels traumatised she defaults to overwork, shutting up her emotions and doubling up in formality. That is not a sign of going backwards. that is not a sign we are not becoming closer, that is a personal characteristic she always had, and it won't go out that easily, because it has become a central part of how she deals with things and it has nothing to do with our actions.
Solving that would require removing the stressor (good luck removing Shenhua), shedding things with cultivation (good luck hoping CRX will discard her own coping mechanism without some serious help) or a lot more psychological help than the help we have given her until now.
And yes, trauma victims backslide into their coping behaviors upon contact with trauma, even if they are unhealthy to them or others, especially if they do not address them head-on. This will keep happening, but every time it does, it makes me want to help her even more. Progress won't be fast, but I do not think thats a fault in writing.
I think its quite obvious that a p-zombie she ain't, based on her povs and the fact she ain't mimicking what she thinks we'll like but instead tries to convince us to like what she likes. Sixiang may not like people that are too broken, or CRX may not be fully human, but I really do not thing CRX feigns her emotions.
- Location
- The Space Between
okay but to put up walls/masks (especially if those masks/walls allow for self-deception) is to feign your emotions at least temporarily. Self-deception is usually more long term, such as when the great and mischievous Coyote deceived himself that he was a goose that was dead by the side of the lake for a whole one hundred days and nights!
Truly, the most mysterious mystery to never exist at all!
but yeah, Six is picking up the mask/flasehoods and not tracking motivation. CRX would be more comfortable with us staying more formal, I would prefer if she wasn't there for Zhengui getting big attention and pats but maybe Meizhen and CRX will be able to talk on the side while we shower best boy with best pats <3 and perhaps Meizhen will be able to assist CRX in navigating her manners vs her desire to connect much better than LQ can do. We're good at being a good, open and honest person people desire to connect with. Meizhen is great at manners, and was convinced to pick up Earth earlier in her career to match her kindness which isn't super Bai but is ultra-meizhen. Kindest and Best Snek <3
we know that CRX loves Tea and tea-culture, and I think that one reason might be that it's a tangible and research-able tradition and artform that is much more in tune with logic-science than experiential-mysticism. You can taste the results, and it has catalogued answers to *why* the taste/flavor and *how* it makes you feel. Very repeatable while still being sublime. Music is harder to do this for. Visual arts are also not so easily replicated.
Honestly I wonder how many artforms CRX has studied extensively. She has studied deeply for court but there is a difference between reading the sheet music and *feeling* the music being *lived*. We should ask her about music history now that we're a songseeker yeah? See if we can perform any pieces that made sense to her in a detached way but can now *feel* because of our musical cultivation
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Invited Renxiang to come out with her. Meizhen would be there later as well, so what was one more for the gathering?
The problem is that we barely see Renxiang's interactions with Ling Qi on screen to make those judgements, and most of that has been directly after such "visits".
Sure recurring trauma is certainly an issue, but the bigger thing is that Renxiang ends up being a background character even in her own events. In foreshock we spent about 1/2 an update actually together and interacting. In the "upgrade the gown event" she got a few lines of dialogue with Meizhen (legitimately fun ones, but only a few lines) then spent the trip to the tailor near mute and we got no interaction with her at the actual choosing. Not even a comment on our choices. Xiulan got more narrative attention in that little mini-arc from her reaction to Ling Qi's fashion choices in the following update than Renxiang did.
Renxiang gets a few narrative mentions as Ling Qi's liege, but we barely interact on screen. Even our supposed frequent sparring doesn't give us any real insight into our interactions, unlike Meizhen, where we've seen a number of philosphical and friendship discussions happening.
We can go months both in story and IRL with barely a line of actual dialogue with her. I actually searched and we had no actual dialogue with Renxiang from the end of turn 4 to Arc 3 of Turn 6. That was over 3 months IRL (June 7 to October 20). And it's been another month since our last interaction with her. For someone who is meant to having such a major impact on the story, someone Ling Qi is so interested in getting to know and follow, she just isn't there.
As I also said, I have no idea what Renxiang actually recruited Ling Qi to do. She never makes use of our sneaky talents (that we were recuited for), instead only ever grabbing us for combat duties or talking to people (which we are very much not the best at). Yes by all means she should be developing Ling Qi broadly (for future spymaster duties) as her employer, but it's like hiring an electrician and making them do only plumbing. Good on them for getting stuck in and doing ok, but maybe give them some electician work once in a while?
There's this big narrative thing at the end of Foreshock where Renxiang goes "Ling Qi will you follow me?" and Ling Qi affirms again that she will. There's a grand build upto see Ling Qi begin the grand work to help Renxiang's goal, recieve orders and...
Nothing happens. At all. For Months.
Not even "here is my medium term plan and your part in it. Now make it so". Just nothing, and a short trip to Renxiang's super tailor which feels like more like Meizhen's idea going by the relative screentime.
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Did you not remember the part where Renxiang said "maybe your skills as a musician are so good I need to reconsider your role" after the music duel? We've been called her Herald before for a reason. Our job is to get strong and make friends and contacts with Inner Sect nobles. That's the plan
We're kinda shifting to be her diplomatic corps.
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- Location
- Greece
That complaint is much more agreeable, although I still have to note that a month isn't that big an amount of time for immortals.
- Location
- United States of America
Hmmm... so it looks like we have about 3 different tasks in the short and long term. Check up on what the Bao are doing and see what information we can get from them regarding why they are so discontent, talk to Sir Luo about what his clan is doing and whether they are content regarding increasing their defenses, and long term befriending Sir Wang.
Befriending Sir Wang is going to be a little bit tricky, but there is a possibility from his... desire to get into contact with Bai Meizhen. Specifically,
Befriending Sir Wang is going to be a little bit tricky, but there is a possibility from his... desire to get into contact with Bai Meizhen. Specifically,
We might be able to start the process of making Wang Chao a friend by working on this angle. He wants something from Meizhen, either personally or a Clan thing, but doesn't seem to have the courage to actually pursue it.
- Location
- Washington
A month is exactly as long for immortal teenagers as it is for regular teenagers. They're GOING to eventually have lived for enough time that it no longer feels that long, but they haven't actually done so yet.
- Location
- Greece
Actually, meditation seems to explicitly affect perceived flow of time. It also affects soul/personality, and while each person evolves differently, I have yet to see a Green exhibit impatience.
[X] Invited Renxiang to come out with her. Meizhen would be there later as well, so what was one more for the gathering?
Snow
Doka
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Only if you're Nanoha.
- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
[X] Invited Renxiang to come out with her. Meizhen would be there later as well, so what was one more for the gathering?
Adopt RenRen! Corrupt her with squishy human feelings!
Adopt RenRen! Corrupt her with squishy human feelings!
I thought that was him trying to badmouth us to her?
TimEd
Meteor maker
[X] Invited Renxiang to come out with her. Meizhen would be there later as well, so what was one more for the gathering?
Best Boi Zhengou will heal all hurts.
set in Cifeng's side
set (something else) Cifeng's side
Best Boi Zhengou will heal all hurts.
gown
set along Cifeng's side
set in Cifeng's side
set (something else) Cifeng's side
- Location
- United States of America
I didn't get that impression, but admittedly it is a very short section. I mean, anyone who wanted to do any politics in that field would have done their research and would have learned that Bai Meizhen and Ling Qi were roommates. It would seem particularly brazen to start to badmouth a former roommate of the Bai to the Bai, especially if they haven't started it.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Wel he does remind Ling Qi of Fan Yu who was pretty brazen and stupid.
RenXiang's comment on how she fortunately has experience fighting a dodgey and shadowing foe make me think we got a new avenue as a tutor.
Also RenXiang has yet to be able to converse with her spirits other than emotions and growls.
This gonna be awkward.
"What do you mean they can't speak? She's green ain't she?"
Also RenXiang has yet to be able to converse with her spirits other than emotions and growls.
This gonna be awkward.
"What do you mean they can't speak? She's green ain't she?"
- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
He's Fan Yu 2.0 according to Ling Qi
[X] Invited Renxiang to come out with her. Meizhen would be there later as well, so what was one more for the gathering?
This may be overreaching, but I think now is a good time to try to get CRX to open up a bit more given the news about her new sister. She's nervous and unsure what it means for her own future, but maybe we could reassure her a bit by talking about Biyu? Obviously it's quite a different situation, but there are some (very) broad similarities in Ling Qi suddenly finding out she had a younger sister. The main point is that becoming an older sister has been a very positive experience for Ling Qi, and maybe we could also coax some nice stories out of Meizhen about her own relatives to reassure CRX.
Basically CRX has no experience with healthy family relationships and is probably viewing her sibling through a purely political lens. Having a younger sister should be a happy thing for her and there is no reason they can't have a positive relationship unless Cai Shenhua deliberately sabotages it, which she shouldn't because it would be terrible for the Cai family long term. It seems like the sort of conversation that could strengthen our relationship while also legitimately helping CRX, and having it while Meizhen is there would also be very helpful.
This may be overreaching, but I think now is a good time to try to get CRX to open up a bit more given the news about her new sister. She's nervous and unsure what it means for her own future, but maybe we could reassure her a bit by talking about Biyu? Obviously it's quite a different situation, but there are some (very) broad similarities in Ling Qi suddenly finding out she had a younger sister. The main point is that becoming an older sister has been a very positive experience for Ling Qi, and maybe we could also coax some nice stories out of Meizhen about her own relatives to reassure CRX.
Basically CRX has no experience with healthy family relationships and is probably viewing her sibling through a purely political lens. Having a younger sister should be a happy thing for her and there is no reason they can't have a positive relationship unless Cai Shenhua deliberately sabotages it, which she shouldn't because it would be terrible for the Cai family long term. It seems like the sort of conversation that could strengthen our relationship while also legitimately helping CRX, and having it while Meizhen is there would also be very helpful.
- Location
- CA
[X] Invited Renxiang to come out with her. Meizhen would be there later as well, so what was one more for the gathering?
I do agree that this is a walkover of a choice, but I'm definitely glad it is a choice, because this is a Quest and the fact that it's still a choice grants it narrative weight. If Ling Qi ended the scene by asking CRX to come along and she reluctantly acquiesced, my thought on the matter wouldn't be "oh good, a chance for them to grow closer," it'd be "oh god, we didn't make this choice, she's coming with so that something awful can happen." If she comes with this way, there's only a chance that something awful will happen! Big improvement.
More seriously, the fact it's resulting from a choice means it can legitimately be a turning point in the relationship. It probably won't, but "becoming a real friend to Renxiang" is basically Ling Qi's final boss on the social front: of everything I can see on the frontier of the possible, it has the most obstacles in its way, and it requires the most growth and change and effort from the people involved. (Not least of those because "form a strong vassal-lord relationship of mutual understanding and respect with CRX" is so much lower-hanging fruit and both people will be strongly tempted to make it their stopping point.) I'm not surprised that relationship's moving at a slow walk, frankly.
(You might say "winding up in a serious, loving relationship" is her final boss, but there's just so much more possibility space in that direction, so its difficulty is much more nebulous.)
I do agree that this is a walkover of a choice, but I'm definitely glad it is a choice, because this is a Quest and the fact that it's still a choice grants it narrative weight. If Ling Qi ended the scene by asking CRX to come along and she reluctantly acquiesced, my thought on the matter wouldn't be "oh good, a chance for them to grow closer," it'd be "oh god, we didn't make this choice, she's coming with so that something awful can happen." If she comes with this way, there's only a chance that something awful will happen! Big improvement.
More seriously, the fact it's resulting from a choice means it can legitimately be a turning point in the relationship. It probably won't, but "becoming a real friend to Renxiang" is basically Ling Qi's final boss on the social front: of everything I can see on the frontier of the possible, it has the most obstacles in its way, and it requires the most growth and change and effort from the people involved. (Not least of those because "form a strong vassal-lord relationship of mutual understanding and respect with CRX" is so much lower-hanging fruit and both people will be strongly tempted to make it their stopping point.) I'm not surprised that relationship's moving at a slow walk, frankly.
(You might say "winding up in a serious, loving relationship" is her final boss, but there's just so much more possibility space in that direction, so its difficulty is much more nebulous.)
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When will it be the next time we see big bro senpai?