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.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
Oliver_Twister
Idea-Man, He Who Shits Ideas
- Location
- West Africa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
4 more votes for each side until Perfection ™ is reached 🙌🏾🙌🏾
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
Welp, looks like we'll be hanging with solja boi for a while 
- Location
- USA
Skin of his teeth. Jeez Bai Lao Keung, mai boy.
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I gotta admit, I just don't care about fighter types in general. Xia Anxi is more interesting in literally every aspect.
Edit: Didn't notice the vote was already closed smh. Guess we're going with the jock after all 😔
Last edited:
ElizatronicWarfa
Himejoshi Supreme
- Pronouns
- She/They
Congratulations on personally swinging a key Husbando Wars vote.
What about a featureless expanse in all directions, reflecting the sky without a single ripple on its surface? The coasts disappear unnervingly quickly and you can't see anything sneaking up on you below the surface
Lake Hei is Granny's mother.
Some dragon thought bottomless reflective depths was sexy
E: yes she's still living in her mom's basement
- Location
- Staring into the void
Considering that the lake is bottomless, and she lives on the surface, wouldn't it be more accurate to say she's in her mom's attic?
TimEd
Meteor maker
And what she does is "Dream" most of the time.
Granny Snek hikikomori confirmed.
Oliver_Twister
Idea-Man, He Who Shits Ideas
- Location
- West Africa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So the Bai and Granny Serpent are all NEETs? It all makes sense now.
- Location
- The Temple of the Winds
Is this Ling Qi playing wing (wo)man or are my glasses a bit too rose-tinted?
Turn 15:Arc 3-6
"As much as I am sure Xia Anxi would appreciate the opportunity to face the wilderness of the Emerald Seas, I think Lao Keung might be better suited," Ling Qi. She was a little curious about the other musician's style, but it could wait a little bit. Although… isn't he supposed to be coordinating your guard? Won't it interfere with his duties?"
"Those duties are minimal while I remain at the Sect," Bai Meizhen dismissed. "And is it not within his duties to go ahead and see that our forces are coordinated and that your construction takes our needs into account?"
"Ah yes, he'll have to ensure the amenities of the houseboat we build for you all on the lake," Ling Qi chuckled.
"That would be amusing, perhaps the Baroness should rein in her ambitions though," Bai Meizhen said dryly.
"You're right," Ling Qi said mournfully. "We lack the experience or material to build a hull that might withstand the pride of the Bai."
Bai Meizhen covered her mouth with her sleeve, muffling her laughter. "My goodness Qi, please, never, ever speak with one of my fellow white serpents alone."
"Not if i can help it," Ling Qi said sagely.
Her friend nodded, regaining her composure slowly. "You are well though? I know that Renxiang has been troubled of late."
"It is internal business," Ling Qi said apologetically. "Of the Heiress. I know she is thankful for your concern, and so am I."
Bai Meizhen pursed her lips but nodded. "Understood, even among friends, there are things which cannot be shared."
"And the revelation that Cai Shenhua's intent and desire was to be overthrown was one of them, Ling Qi thought. It still felt unreal, an absurdity or a joke. What right did she, a girl who a few years ago had been hiding from street thugs in empty alleys have to be involved with that.
Same right as you have for establishing a connection to a foreign nation, or working with the Ministry of Law, or punching star monsters with your voice," Sixiang chuckled. "You aren't the same person."
She wasn't and neither were her friends she supposed. Renxiang was not the brittle porcelain girl she had been, Bai Meizhen no longer the untouchable and imperious serpent, Li Suyin not the naive and shy child who lived in books, Su Ling not the starved and ragged hunter. She was not so arrogant as to claim credit for it in full, but she had changed them and they her.
And larger things were changing too. Province, Empire, Tribes, Mountains. All in motion.
Because…
Motion is change, the wind of your wings obscures destiny
"I suppose you must be fine, if your mood is so good," Bai Meizhen said.
"I'm feeling a little more sure of myself," Ling Qi said.
People had asked her before, why she wanted to reach the peak of cultivation, and she'd not been able to give a satisfying answer. But… she was starting to have some ideas. Things that needed to be done, things that needed to be changed. One person's power alone couldn't be enough. "I'm looking forward to you coming around, Meizhen, I really am."
"So am I," she said. Then she smiled, tipping her head toward the center of the field. "Perhaps you should rescue your brother though? You need him for your performance, don't you?"
Ling Qi turned her eyes back to the gathered beasts, where Zhengui seemed to be struggling a bit in a conversation with Cui, who was staring down a little bird that was hopping up and down on Gui's head. Zhen looked worried.
"I guess it is about time to start setting up the stage," Ling Qi chuckled. "Will you back me up? Cui is still not my biggest fan."
"Cui has forgiven you in the way of the Bai," Meizhen replied.
"And what way is that?" Ling Qi asked, quirking an eyebrow
"Determining of her own volition that the slight was never worth their attention to begin with," Meizhen said dryly. "But yes, I will remain and ensure she remembers her manners."
Ling Qi chuckled, and stepped away from the hedge had been standing by, her steps parted the small crowd of spirits and disciples, a single glance her way being enough to cause them to shuffle aside.
Change indeed.
"...Too deficient still, your pride is lacking," Cui's hissing voice reached her as she came to them.
"I, Zhen am merely generous to my court," her little brother said.
"Being mean all the time is boring," Gui added helpfully.
"Foolish Gui, acting your station is not mean," Zhen hissed.
"Gui thinks Zhen-"
"Little brother," Ling Qi said. "I see you are having a good time."
It felt odd, having the attention of the strange menagerie of beasts and disciples.
"Ah, big sister," Zhen said, head swinging toward her. "I was taking lessons from Lady Cui."
Cui's cold golden gaze turned to her, forked tongue flickering out. The jade green serpent turned up her snout.
"Is that so," Ling Qi said, glancing to Gui, who looked disgruntled.
"Gui enjoys hearing everyone's words," he said stonily.
"Well I am sorry to interrupt, but it will soon be time for the main event," Ling Qi said.
"Main event?" Cui asked, affecting disinterest.
"Our final Sect performance, Zhengui is vital of course," Ling Qi said.
"Hmph, I, Cui wonder about that…"
"I, Zhen, am very sorry Lady Cui, but I must attend to my duty," Zhen said, his serpentine body dropping his head in an approximation of a bow.
The jade serpents head twitched, and if she were human she probably would have blinked. Ling Qi saw her glance toward the field edge presumably toward Meizhen. "...Fine, meditate on my words though! You are too lax."
Ling Qi watched with bemusement as she slithered down, vanishing with a ripple into one of the reflecting ponds. Ling Qi patted Gui's head once as he stood, shaking off dust and gravel from his underside to follow her.
"What in the world was that about," she asked once they were away, and she once again had a hold of the wind to interdict eavesdroppers.
"Cui is greedy," Gui said.
"Lady Cui is not," Zhen complained. "She is right, we were being too lax and easy."
"Gui likes letting everyone be warm and full," Gui huffed.
"It's fine when we do the festival, but Gui should be more discerning," Zhen muttered. It had the feeling of an argument they'd had before.
"Zhen is just being silly because of shiny scales," Gui accused.
"Am not!" Zhen snapped, abandoning any pretension of aristocratic haughtiness.
"Settle down for now," Ling Qi chided. "I need you focused to provide the stage and effects."
"Yes, Big sister," they both said.
She considered saying more, but left it at that. How Zhengui chose to present himself to other spirits was his business, unless he asked for her help. With Zhengui shrinking down to follow her into the narrower passages, it was not too long before they reached the large space that spanned the width of the field in the north. Musical qi drifted and curled in the air, along with the sounds of tuning instruments and practice.
"Sup," Yu Nuan was the first one to greet her. The older girl was seated to one side of the entrance, eyes half shut as she plucked the strings of her instrument. "Figured you wouldn't be late to your own thing."
"I never said she would be, just that the time was coming," Ruan Shen said breezily, he was seated cross legged on the ground, a tuner in one hand and his ruan in the other. "You know I never thought we'd actually do a big performance."
"That's because you're too lax senior brother. You could have organized something any time," Ling Qi shot back.
"Nah," he dismissed. "That's way too hard."
Ling Qi chuckled. "Zhengui, will you start infusing the earth and the grass, you remember what we discussed about the stage, right?"
"Yes!"
"Are the curtains ready?"
"Naturally," said Bian Ya, who had been standing with a few more junior musician disciples, overseeing some last minute practice. "It was a little expensive on short notice, but I was able to get it done."
"I said I would pay," Ling Qi said mildly.
"And I refused, consider it a graduation gift," Bian Ya replied. Smiling behind her veil.
"As you like," Ling Qi said, smiling back. "Ah, now where is Ma Jun…"
"I'm here!" Ma Jun's voice echoed from up the east entrance, where she came sprinting in, gown hiked up in her hands.
"I was worried you might be too distracted," Ling Qi said lightly, remembering her dance with Gan Guangli's friend.
She flushed, "Th-thats…"
Ling Qi smiled, others spoke, others laughed. She was really doing this.
"I'm proud of ya," Sixiang whispered.
You've been quiet, Ling Qi noted silently.
"You don't need me right now, you've got this."
Ling Qi took a deep breath, taking the vote of confidence for what it was. She observed as tendrils of wood, rapidly emerging trunks and roots began to weave themselves together in a rising stage.
"Still can't believe you cast me as the villain," Yu Nuan said from beside her, having stood at some point.
"Don't be like that, the bombast of the beast gods is exactly your sort of theme," Ling Qi replied
"Tch," the other girl clicked her tongue. "You sure about this, even someone like me knows your making trouble, casting yourself as the Diviner in a thing like this."
"If you're not making trouble, are you really making art?"
Yu Nuan squinted at her. "That's a dangerous thought."
"That is cultivation, you can't achieve the peak without dangerous thoughts," Ling Qi said, thinking of the Gaol, and the story of Hui sheng. The Monk, the Hunter, the Duchess, she had seen three people, or shadows of them, which had reached the peak now.
It wasn't enough to want power for its own sake, all of them, all of them wished to change something. They had a story to tell, and voices so loud that the world had no choice but to listen, and so convincing that many, many people listened without coercion.
That was what she would have to do, if she wished to walk that path.
The Dirge of the Beast Gods was a more profound art than she had given it credit for, not merely a procession of powerful summons, but a meditation on the futility of standing alone. She had progressed far enough to see that, and the evolution of the techniques would reflect that as she mastered it.
But as much as this performance would exercise her mastery, it was most prominently, a story and a statement. And the art, the story, would change with how she told it.
[ ] She would tell a tale of triumph and connection(+1 Community XP, Secondary effects of Beast God techniques are powerful group and individual buffs)
[ ] She would tell a tragedy of stubborn prides failing (+1 Isolation XP, Secondary effects of Beast God techniques are powerful group and individual debuffs)
"Those duties are minimal while I remain at the Sect," Bai Meizhen dismissed. "And is it not within his duties to go ahead and see that our forces are coordinated and that your construction takes our needs into account?"
"Ah yes, he'll have to ensure the amenities of the houseboat we build for you all on the lake," Ling Qi chuckled.
"That would be amusing, perhaps the Baroness should rein in her ambitions though," Bai Meizhen said dryly.
"You're right," Ling Qi said mournfully. "We lack the experience or material to build a hull that might withstand the pride of the Bai."
Bai Meizhen covered her mouth with her sleeve, muffling her laughter. "My goodness Qi, please, never, ever speak with one of my fellow white serpents alone."
"Not if i can help it," Ling Qi said sagely.
Her friend nodded, regaining her composure slowly. "You are well though? I know that Renxiang has been troubled of late."
"It is internal business," Ling Qi said apologetically. "Of the Heiress. I know she is thankful for your concern, and so am I."
Bai Meizhen pursed her lips but nodded. "Understood, even among friends, there are things which cannot be shared."
"And the revelation that Cai Shenhua's intent and desire was to be overthrown was one of them, Ling Qi thought. It still felt unreal, an absurdity or a joke. What right did she, a girl who a few years ago had been hiding from street thugs in empty alleys have to be involved with that.
Same right as you have for establishing a connection to a foreign nation, or working with the Ministry of Law, or punching star monsters with your voice," Sixiang chuckled. "You aren't the same person."
She wasn't and neither were her friends she supposed. Renxiang was not the brittle porcelain girl she had been, Bai Meizhen no longer the untouchable and imperious serpent, Li Suyin not the naive and shy child who lived in books, Su Ling not the starved and ragged hunter. She was not so arrogant as to claim credit for it in full, but she had changed them and they her.
And larger things were changing too. Province, Empire, Tribes, Mountains. All in motion.
Because…
Motion is change, the wind of your wings obscures destiny
Motion advances to III Motion concept absorbs Chaos Concept. Projects enhancing the Chaos Concept now enhance motion.
"I suppose you must be fine, if your mood is so good," Bai Meizhen said.
"I'm feeling a little more sure of myself," Ling Qi said.
People had asked her before, why she wanted to reach the peak of cultivation, and she'd not been able to give a satisfying answer. But… she was starting to have some ideas. Things that needed to be done, things that needed to be changed. One person's power alone couldn't be enough. "I'm looking forward to you coming around, Meizhen, I really am."
"So am I," she said. Then she smiled, tipping her head toward the center of the field. "Perhaps you should rescue your brother though? You need him for your performance, don't you?"
Ling Qi turned her eyes back to the gathered beasts, where Zhengui seemed to be struggling a bit in a conversation with Cui, who was staring down a little bird that was hopping up and down on Gui's head. Zhen looked worried.
"I guess it is about time to start setting up the stage," Ling Qi chuckled. "Will you back me up? Cui is still not my biggest fan."
"Cui has forgiven you in the way of the Bai," Meizhen replied.
"And what way is that?" Ling Qi asked, quirking an eyebrow
"Determining of her own volition that the slight was never worth their attention to begin with," Meizhen said dryly. "But yes, I will remain and ensure she remembers her manners."
Ling Qi chuckled, and stepped away from the hedge had been standing by, her steps parted the small crowd of spirits and disciples, a single glance her way being enough to cause them to shuffle aside.
Change indeed.
"...Too deficient still, your pride is lacking," Cui's hissing voice reached her as she came to them.
"I, Zhen am merely generous to my court," her little brother said.
"Being mean all the time is boring," Gui added helpfully.
"Foolish Gui, acting your station is not mean," Zhen hissed.
"Gui thinks Zhen-"
"Little brother," Ling Qi said. "I see you are having a good time."
It felt odd, having the attention of the strange menagerie of beasts and disciples.
"Ah, big sister," Zhen said, head swinging toward her. "I was taking lessons from Lady Cui."
Cui's cold golden gaze turned to her, forked tongue flickering out. The jade green serpent turned up her snout.
"Is that so," Ling Qi said, glancing to Gui, who looked disgruntled.
"Gui enjoys hearing everyone's words," he said stonily.
"Well I am sorry to interrupt, but it will soon be time for the main event," Ling Qi said.
"Main event?" Cui asked, affecting disinterest.
"Our final Sect performance, Zhengui is vital of course," Ling Qi said.
"Hmph, I, Cui wonder about that…"
"I, Zhen, am very sorry Lady Cui, but I must attend to my duty," Zhen said, his serpentine body dropping his head in an approximation of a bow.
The jade serpents head twitched, and if she were human she probably would have blinked. Ling Qi saw her glance toward the field edge presumably toward Meizhen. "...Fine, meditate on my words though! You are too lax."
Ling Qi watched with bemusement as she slithered down, vanishing with a ripple into one of the reflecting ponds. Ling Qi patted Gui's head once as he stood, shaking off dust and gravel from his underside to follow her.
"What in the world was that about," she asked once they were away, and she once again had a hold of the wind to interdict eavesdroppers.
"Cui is greedy," Gui said.
"Lady Cui is not," Zhen complained. "She is right, we were being too lax and easy."
"Gui likes letting everyone be warm and full," Gui huffed.
"It's fine when we do the festival, but Gui should be more discerning," Zhen muttered. It had the feeling of an argument they'd had before.
"Zhen is just being silly because of shiny scales," Gui accused.
"Am not!" Zhen snapped, abandoning any pretension of aristocratic haughtiness.
"Settle down for now," Ling Qi chided. "I need you focused to provide the stage and effects."
"Yes, Big sister," they both said.
She considered saying more, but left it at that. How Zhengui chose to present himself to other spirits was his business, unless he asked for her help. With Zhengui shrinking down to follow her into the narrower passages, it was not too long before they reached the large space that spanned the width of the field in the north. Musical qi drifted and curled in the air, along with the sounds of tuning instruments and practice.
"Sup," Yu Nuan was the first one to greet her. The older girl was seated to one side of the entrance, eyes half shut as she plucked the strings of her instrument. "Figured you wouldn't be late to your own thing."
"I never said she would be, just that the time was coming," Ruan Shen said breezily, he was seated cross legged on the ground, a tuner in one hand and his ruan in the other. "You know I never thought we'd actually do a big performance."
"That's because you're too lax senior brother. You could have organized something any time," Ling Qi shot back.
"Nah," he dismissed. "That's way too hard."
Ling Qi chuckled. "Zhengui, will you start infusing the earth and the grass, you remember what we discussed about the stage, right?"
"Yes!"
"Are the curtains ready?"
"Naturally," said Bian Ya, who had been standing with a few more junior musician disciples, overseeing some last minute practice. "It was a little expensive on short notice, but I was able to get it done."
"I said I would pay," Ling Qi said mildly.
"And I refused, consider it a graduation gift," Bian Ya replied. Smiling behind her veil.
"As you like," Ling Qi said, smiling back. "Ah, now where is Ma Jun…"
"I'm here!" Ma Jun's voice echoed from up the east entrance, where she came sprinting in, gown hiked up in her hands.
"I was worried you might be too distracted," Ling Qi said lightly, remembering her dance with Gan Guangli's friend.
She flushed, "Th-thats…"
Ling Qi smiled, others spoke, others laughed. She was really doing this.
"I'm proud of ya," Sixiang whispered.
You've been quiet, Ling Qi noted silently.
"You don't need me right now, you've got this."
Ling Qi took a deep breath, taking the vote of confidence for what it was. She observed as tendrils of wood, rapidly emerging trunks and roots began to weave themselves together in a rising stage.
"Still can't believe you cast me as the villain," Yu Nuan said from beside her, having stood at some point.
"Don't be like that, the bombast of the beast gods is exactly your sort of theme," Ling Qi replied
"Tch," the other girl clicked her tongue. "You sure about this, even someone like me knows your making trouble, casting yourself as the Diviner in a thing like this."
"If you're not making trouble, are you really making art?"
Yu Nuan squinted at her. "That's a dangerous thought."
"That is cultivation, you can't achieve the peak without dangerous thoughts," Ling Qi said, thinking of the Gaol, and the story of Hui sheng. The Monk, the Hunter, the Duchess, she had seen three people, or shadows of them, which had reached the peak now.
It wasn't enough to want power for its own sake, all of them, all of them wished to change something. They had a story to tell, and voices so loud that the world had no choice but to listen, and so convincing that many, many people listened without coercion.
That was what she would have to do, if she wished to walk that path.
The Dirge of the Beast Gods was a more profound art than she had given it credit for, not merely a procession of powerful summons, but a meditation on the futility of standing alone. She had progressed far enough to see that, and the evolution of the techniques would reflect that as she mastered it.
But as much as this performance would exercise her mastery, it was most prominently, a story and a statement. And the art, the story, would change with how she told it.
[ ] She would tell a tale of triumph and connection(+1 Community XP, Secondary effects of Beast God techniques are powerful group and individual buffs)
[ ] She would tell a tragedy of stubborn prides failing (+1 Isolation XP, Secondary effects of Beast God techniques are powerful group and individual debuffs)