Cocoa is around, playing more Breath of the Wild. True to his word he seems to be on vacation.

That's fine with her. She chats about the game a bit on clearing-her-head breaks. Does the dishes and takes out the accumulating trash while she's at it.

She goes for a third strand - seventeen - then spends the rest of the day alternating between shorter workouts and non-strand-attempt 'practice' meditation, and Turtle Breathing practice.

(...And balance-transfers her recent activity from her current credit card to the black one. If anyone fusses at her about it she'll deal with that later.)

Nobody fusses about the credit card. 

There's still another day before Silver Starlight is slated to show up. 

Cocoa makes waffles for morning breakfast. "Hey! Tomorrow is Senior Starlight, right? Do you want some info about her?"

"Probably a good idea. She seems kind, and like the nominal head and organizer of the whole group?"

"Yeah. She's three hundred and quite patient. Kind to her juniors, won't hesitate to rip apart anyone who threatens them. Techically the group is administrated by her, Senior Red and Senior Eight Tails jointly, but she's the one who's interested in putting in the actual work. She works with fate and karma - our number one most accurate lot drawer - and she's fascinated with modern technology and culture. She wants to form a genuinely modern cultivation school, ultimately, something not quite a sect but still useful to everyone involved."

Nodnod. "So that's why she was happy to give out Canadian Fist. If people can use it and actually become powerful with it, that's a new school's curriculum."

"Exactly. She prefers to be called 'Starlight' or 'Senior Starlight' - she's the type of senior who prefers to be casual about the fact you both know she could easily throw you through a wall. She does have a personal name as well, but only Eight Tails calls her by it and they've been friends and allies for literal centuries. I think Eight Tails is the senior but I'm honestly not sure, I don't know how old Eight Tails is."

"...I must be pretty lucky, having been accidentally invited and all, hmm."

"When it comes to cultivators, luck is a real force. Like, uh -" he pauses. "- Lot drawing works for us, yes?"

"-At first I thought it was an RP server, and you know, you play along with it if you're not rude, then I mostly forgot actually."

"High ranked cultivators almost always have strong - luck, karma, fate - it's the same thing oaths and virtue cultivation affect."

"Hm? I haven't heard of virtue cultivation yet."

"The established paths there are Buddhist, but if you make a strong commitment to live your life by ethical principles and help others and so on, you can accumulate virtue and that benefits qi use. I'm fairly sure Senior Starlight has a radical virtue path in her role as a counselor."

"...Huh. That sounds appealing but I think I'd need a much clearer picture of - what I want and what I think is good - to try it."

"Generally such a path involves swearing oaths and following them, yes. It's something to take your time over."

Nodnod. "Do you know when Starlight is showing up?"

"She hasn't DMed me or anything but I bet she'll be here for breakfast tomorrow. She's a morning person and barely needs to sleep anymore."

"Well, I think it's going to be a full day of training for me today unless something important comes up."

"Works for me. See you around?"

"Yep, see you around."

To training, then! She's aiming for Maximum Strands today.

Three come easily. The fourth is close. The fifth... ain't gonna happen.

She tries a couple of times anyway. Even with a couple hours' break and a nap?

She gets it on her third try. By then the sun has long since set.

Urgh, that was intense. Maybe not worth it for a 25% growth increase until she gets closer to the end if it's going to wipe her out this much every day.

She sleeps and sets her alarm a little earlier, wanting to be ready to face the day and Senior Starlight.