[LP CYOA] 傳

[Nevill]

Leaving without a goodbye is simply cruel. That's even without mentioning Cao'er.

 

[Sunnmøring]

Do you think it's going to get any easier as the kids grow up and Jing has to eventually say that it was nice raising them halfway, but now he needs to leave them for eternal pleasure with Lady Nuwa?

The whole situation is terrible. I'd like to change up the game, but there isn't really an option around for that [well, not one with many votes behind it, at least]. I'd prefer to not participate, but if we're going to commit it's much better to go all the way. I'd also be worried about Nuwa getting feelings of vengeance against the mortal attachments that continue to distract Jing from her-- once we get under that loyalty bond of hers, we can't really do anything but rely on her goodwill for our family, and if that's poisoned then their lives will be much harder.

 

[Baltika9]

Which is why we must keep her occupied at all times.

 

[Nevill]

Do you think it's going to get any easier as the kids grow up and Jing has to eventually say that it was nice raising them halfway, but now he needs to leave them for eternal pleasure with Lady Nuwa?

Yes, it is. A sudden calamity is much more devastating then the one you prepare for, though none of it is pleasant.

What I know is that they would have preferred to spend an extra hour with us, let alone ten years.

It makes it easier.

And after Nuwa gets her due and has us swear loyalty to her (and she will do that right away), what vengeance do you speak of? We would no longer have a freedom to hide from her.

The relationship is a two-way street, and even the Gods can't change that. If she wants to receive, she will need to give as well. We are not asking her for much.

 

[Sunnmøring]

It just seems to me that Lambchop's plan is going to have us try to experience everything open to us in a way that's guaranteed to be worse in each category than if we just stuck with something. Nuwa's angry over the delay, we still need to leave all our family and friends, Shun ends up a disgraced exile... and that's the best case scenario! I'd rather take my chances with any other option, and D is the strongest. It'd be a rather disappointing end.

 

[Nevill]

I will not argue with you about that. By now, everyone has their own idea of who Jing is and what is best for him. Everyone can decide for themselves whether to accept or to refuse the offer from the Gods.

But I will still argue that going straight away is a cruelty our companions did not deserve.

 

[Baltika9]

The concession on letting your descendants run the new dynasty is acceptable. That's the only one. She's not about to let you run off before kissing her foot and swearing an eternal binding geas of loyalty. It's gonna be hawt.

So, uh, since this is kinda a requirement, will we do it in Lambchop's C without us having to view for it, or do we have to include it too?

 

[treave]

You do it in A, B, and C, if she accepts the deal you offer. In D you taunt her to kiss your foot instead when negotiations break down and the two of you start calling each other names.

 

[Baltika9]

Good. Who knew that the Goddess of Mankind had a foot fetish? I certainly didn't.

 

[Nevill]

In D you taunt her to kiss your foot instead when negotiations break down and the two of you start calling each other names.

Hmm. Do we get to call her a "footless, yellow earth-worm"?

It is kind of important.

 

[Sunnmøring]

Yes, and more than ten years there's spending the rest of our life with them. I rather think that they'd prefer that to staying around for ten years until we sunder every familial tie and relation to just have heaven sex for eternity. That's a hugely enormous betrayal to them; why bother carrying on the charade of a family at that point? If it's to say good-bye, say good-bye. If you care most about what they want, there are options to stay. It's absolutely cruelty any way you put ut to them to go with Nuwa. (Hint, that's why I don't want to.)

Ten years is an incredibly arbitrary cutout that leaves them with half-grown kids and plenty of time to entangle Jing in other relations that he will inevitably betray. I can understand waiting until the kids are grown, ten years is a terrible time interval.

If we've sworn our loyalty and are bound by that magic, she can do what she will and we won't be able to be indignant about it even. If she was, say, angered that our wives stalled her time with us for several more years... she doesn't have to do much of anything to bury them in misfortune out of pettiness, and we couldn't do a thing about it. That's why I think it better to not let those caustic emotions build up.

The power imbalance is a bit obvious here. She'll allow us concessions, but once the vow is made, that's that and from there on out anything relies purely on her goodwill. If we are to stay with her for eternity, I think it best to ensure she's in a good as mood as possible to keep up her being nice to Jing's family on Earth, and a part of that involves not irritating her with a huge delay when she's radiating impatiencr if we indeed go with her.

 

[Rex Feral]

I'm just gonna flop back to D.

Fuck the gods.

 

[treave]

"footless, yellow earth-worm"?

That's a bit mean. Nuwa might run off in tears and spend the next thousand years sulking alone in a quiet corner of Heaven.

I mean, after giving you what you had coming for daring to argue with a goddess, obviously.

 

[Baltika9]

Not that it matters now. The 'Dex is just not man enough for her.

 

[Nevill]

If you care most about what they want, there are options to stay.

What are those options?

I mean, if we don't ignore the fact that Shun is our companion as well.

 

[Nevill]

That's a bit mean. Nuwa might run off in tears and spend the next thousand years sulking alone in a quiet corner of Heaven.

I mean, after giving you what you had coming for daring to argue with a goddess, obviously.

My heart bleeds for the girl.

By the way, is it in the power of Gods to break the reincarnation cycle?

 

[treave]

What do you mean by break?

 

[Baltika9]

I'll make a muster attempt: bros, if you're voting for B and different variations of C that try to accomplish the same goal, unite behind Lambchop's C!

C
We say that the offer of becoming emperor is tempting, but that the idea of spending eternity as her divine plaything is far more pleasant. Yet, we wish our offspring to have the dynasty in our place, so that they may offer up continual devotion and praise to her on earth while we remain slave to our undying love for her in heaven. Ask for ten years. During that time, Shun will abdicate the throne to us and reveal his duplicity in faking his father's death, setting right the blasphemy and making it known that heavens rule is not to be mocked. He will be exiled to maniac island, along with his whole household. His bloodline will die a quiet death there. Or, if it pleases her, we will kill him now, but as her pet an devoted servant, we'd ask her mercy towards us in this so that our eternal love and devotion toward her is not marred by feelings of bitterness.

Edit: per baltika's suggestion, we'd also add that regardless of her of whether or not she would grant us our humble suggestion, we'd beg the honor of her embrace now as it is painful for us to restrain ourself from her great beauty - though only if she desires it.

Together, we can do it!

 

[Absinthe]

And I'll make a counter-point that selling out to Nuwa now would be a betrayal of Jing's crew and principles and that Jing will essentially be enslaved to Nuwa if you vote C.

The concession on letting your descendants run the new dynasty is acceptable. That's the only one. She's not about to let you run off before kissing her foot and swearing an eternal binding geas of loyalty. It's gonna be hawt.

You can never betray her will, and on the off chance that impossibility happens, the laws of the universe converge to ensure you suffer a fate worse than death.

What, you think Nuwa's going to make the same mistake twice?

 

[Nevill]

If we vote D, we are dead. It is up to you whether you think our harem would prefer one or the other, though I might refer you to the Journey to Chang'an update to hear the thoughts of one of our companions on such matters.

You can argue about the principles, but keep our crew out of it. They would want us alive and with them, for as long as possible.

What do you mean by break?

I mean, is it in their power to make it so that the 'soul' or what-have-you disappears completely and is never reborn into the mortal world?

Or is that process something even the Gods can not intervene into?

 

[Elfberserker]

Hmm..
I really don't want to leave Cao'er to wander about searching us for all eternity.

I propose C ( Cao'er edition)

We first try praise our constraining snake godness, but we simply request that could we take Cao'er with us without her being geassed?
Lady Nuwa will be our first lady, but it would break our heart to be apart from our quiet and shy little physician or something like that...

We could be taken right now and we could leave to nuwas discreation, if she wants our offspring to become next rulers of dynasty.

C ( Cao'er edition )

 

[treave]

Destroy it altogether, no. Break it into little pieces that reenter the cycle separately, yes. Remove it from the wheel of reincarnation by banishing it for eternity (or at least until a reprieve), yes.

Depends on their power and portfolio, though.

 

[Nevill]

Break it into little pieces that reenter the cycle separately, yes.

How does that work and what difference does it make compared to complete destruction? The soul as an entity would cease to exist... or am I mistaken?

Were there any precedents in Chinese mythology?

 

[Absinthe]

If we vote D, we are dead.

Even if those are our options, between eternal slavery (and abandoning our crew and principles of our own accord) or death, I think death is better. We would be a slave to the very person who ruined us all, no less.

 

[treave]

Were there any precedents in Chinese mythology?

I don't really remember, but since 99% of Chinese mythology is made up on the spot, in accordance with that grand tradition the answer is that the scattered soul loses its identity and whatever accumulated karma and magical essence would be lost or split up. But compared to total destruction, it is possible to reverse the process and rejoin the soul pieces.

Yeah, let's go with that.