Destiny & Free Will, #1 [Period 1, Monday, July 7]

[atreideslioness]

Ghanima was already in the classroom as the students assembled, leaning against her desk as they filed past her.  Holding a steaming mug of Spice in her hands, she subjected each person to an apparently disinterested inspection from her glowing blue-on-blue eyes. 

Not even a Bene Gesserit Truthsayer would have been able to tell what she was thinking. 

The moment the bell rang, her eyes snapped from the door to the children seated around the room.  “Good afternoon,” she said in a clear voice that carried effortlessly.  "This is Destiny and Free Will.  If you are in the wrong class, please consider this your opportunity to leave.  Although it is entirely possible that if you are here, then you are where you are supposed to be, no matter what it says on your schedule." 

"I am Lady Ghanima Atreides.  You may address me as Miss Atreides, Lady Ghanima, Miss Ghanima, or some variation thereof.  Be warned, however, that I do not answer to Lady Atreides.  Lady Atreides is my grandmother, the Lady Jessica, and I have no desire to claim that title from her.  For those of you whom I have had in class before," she smiled suddenly, looking far less severe.  "Welcome back."

"This class is designed to look at the differing opinions on predestination and freewill from a variety of religious, temporal, and philosophical schools of thought.  Regardless of any personal experiences you may have had on this topic, I expect everyone to maintain a respectful and open mind towards the subject matter and your classmates.  Mocking destiny is a dangerous pastime, and not one I will permit during class hours," she said, collecting a stack of papers from her desk and walking down the rows to hand one to each student.  "What you do on your own time, however, is your business."

"This is your syllabus.  Be aware that it is subject to change at any time, unless a particular class is predestined to happen, in which case the syllabus is moot anyway, isn’t it?"  The smile she flashed the students was decidedly impish.  

"For now, I would like you to go around the room and introduce yourselves, and state for the record whether you believe in destiny, free will, or are currently undecided."

[OOC:  Please wait for the OCD to go up!  Have fun!]

Comments

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen snorted. "Them," she said dismissively.

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[withoutverona]

Romeo raised an eyebrow ay Helen. "What them? God?"

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"No, Them," she spat. "With their dice and their machines, controlling the lives of everyone in the worlds, playing with them as if they were nothing. We drove them out once, and if they return we will do it again."

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[withoutverona]

If he hadn't been in Fandom for six months, Romeo's first thought would have been that Helen was utterly insane.

But he had learned that was rarely the case here, or at least, rarely the case when someone described fighting an unmatchable foe.

So he said, "Of course. One would have to, or else they'd take over completely again."

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen nodded relieved that he understood. "If you saw what They did to my world..." She shook her head. "To so many of the worlds."

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[withoutverona]

"Then you've spent time in more than one world?" he asked. "Or how did you come to know of Them?" Unconsciously, he took on the capital letter she spoke with.

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"I have," she said. "I was stoned and sent into exile to Walk the Bounds because I saw Them and their games in the temple."

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[withoutverona]

Romeo just stared for a moment, and not only because her story was extreme. "I know something of exile," he said. "Though it cannot have been as harsh as yours, or for so little. It must have been awful."

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

She nodded, feeling suddenly a bit overwhelmed by emotion. "Yes. It was."

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[withoutverona]

"I'm sorry," he said helplessly. Realizing they'd been talking in class for rather a long time, he gave her a please-don't-start-crying smile and turned back to Miss Atreides.

He'd need to talk to her about this again sometime.

Re: Introductions & Discussion: Destiny, Free Will, or None of the Above?

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen nodded and turned her attention back to the lecture.