"It's... a metaphorical path, with a notional destination and starting point, but there's not nesscarily any clear distinction between the actions of the work itself and the 'Great Work', the harmony and completeness and whatever mystical effects are out there that encapsulate those huge vague things that people so enjoy philosophizing about. From what I remember from the novels, it's just as much 'your dao' if one simply refers to your history and the little tricks and refinements and matters of mere circumstance as the dao of... I don't know, Fire is one, the preset path to the heavens following some alignment." 

Inhale more of the powder, repress a slight cough, nod nod. 

"You're growin'. You're 'becoming more mature'. That doesn't have a proscribed meaning 'nd there's manifold differences between the practical paths and such that any two 'adults' or whatever go for, so there's not even that. Heck, it's..." 

Hum finish up the scraps quickly. 

"Almost an anti-mid-life crisis, I bet." 

Baffled chuckle.

"It's a thin', I swear!" 

She chortled briefly, wiping the clear juice running down from her lips away as she straddled a chair and smiled at her. 

Close eyes little serene pff. 

"Enlighten me."

"Mid-life crisises are 'bout the coming acceptance of mortality, worry about a lack of impact from the limited time they have left 'nd from what they've done, 'nd the weirdness that is age." 

Waggle eyebrows. 

"But cultivators don't have that! Age is thrown in the garbage where it belongs, for the most part, mortality becomes vastly further 'way as you progress along the path to immortality, and that progress in and of itself 's a heaven-defying accomplishment, basically by definition. A smart kid can absorb the whole thing 'bout impracticalities for making a difference, 'bout the way that they are mortal, 'bout the way that age means so annoyingly much when they're perfectly functioning human beings, and even if it isn't literally the same thing as the classic shit, you're basically reverting an implicit breakdown and flaw, 'cause your the sorta quick person who skips 'head in line." 

Quirk head to the side. 

"Or at least that's my theory." 

Bemused and relaxed prideful grin, pumping her chest full of air. 

Shake head. 

"Of course that's your bloody theory." 

They broke down laughing together, a grin shining on both faces as the kettle went off. 

"Ah..." 

"Excuse me, for a moment." 

She grabbed the kettle, and swiftly poured out the boiling water onot the porridge, lightly soaking it before returning to her seat to stir it and get to eating.

They sat there in peace, for a while, Ruby basking languidly back and Moonsilver eating her fill. 

"I'm not quite sure I get this all but... Seeing you here, quiet helps, and that's an annoyingly plausible idea - internalizing's just... how things slip in, how I learn and... not following the ideas of others of when that should happen seems natural enough especially since..." 

Wipes face with hand. 

"Seems like a basic bit of cultivation that's easy to cling to in reference to how I work." 

"Oh yeah. Just..." 

Hands fidget in the air, fingers flowing around each other, drawing out little diagrams and images of fire-strewn gold and iron-webbed stone flicking in and out of existence. 

"Don't let metaphors stop you, in general, is a rule I try to go by so..." 

"Brave heart, Moonsilver." 

Drink up the last of it rally. 

"To training, then." 

"...Yeah." 

She popped out of the chair, and walked with her hand in hand to the cultivation circle, pushing aside the sofa with the casual kick. 

"Do your forms, slowly. 'll see if I can help a little." 

Nod back to the opening stance, hands flow, and gently slide into the forms.

She strode around her back, watching intently. 

"Relax." 

Slows just a little, shoulders looser, balance more dynamic and less held-tight, stepping forward into a slower strike.

She wandered besides her, letting her fingers trace across her energy-laden hands, her own strength diffusing against hers in little sparks and flows. 

Very substantial blink keep up the relaxation, gently pressing against her hand, taking advantage of the circulating strength, step back, switch sides...

She flowed around her, wrapping her hand across her wrist, slowly mixing in with her energy. 

"Take a moment to feel it, the balancing act of the exchange, the feeling of the synergy, the gentle sensation beneath your skin, and the way it seeps into the air as you work through the kata." 

She went through the forms, of course, taking the time to watch the little interactions of energy between each knuckle, along every bone, every wave of strength pushed out of her core through her qi and blood, creeping up on her slowly like the flush spreading through her from the intimate embrace of her fingertips, of the tiny corrections - no, slight pokes, reinforcements, so many flaws having a calm current of qi very slightly formatted to click together with her qi as it bonds, the energy flowing out from her to reinforce... everything. 

It rose, slowly, spikes of energy slowly forming as her breath started to strain, just a little. 

She shifted into a crossblock, grounding.

Slide forward, both hands pressing against hers, fist qi rising, staring into her eyes. 

Stare-focus-up-fist-clenching-firmer, pushing-back-up, strength-surging-slowly-but-firmly.

Press-back-qi-flowing-swiftly-eyes-glinting-heavenly-energy-contracting-everything-rising-higher.

Let-the-surge-build,ride-it-out-as-qi-mingled-forced-open, and force-forward-as-one-with-the-condensed-energy-grunting-with-effort.

Pushing-back, immovable-as-always, qi-rising-just-a-little-in-challenge, faintly-grinning.