Destiny & Free Will, Week I [Monday, Period 4]

[atreideslioness]

Ghanima had decided to hold class outside by the pond next to the school, since there was no reason to keep her students cooped up in a classroom today. She'd tacked a note on the classroom door, and was now waiting the students assembled, sitting on a rock as they found their way to her and took seats on the grass.

The moment everyone arrived, her eyes snapped from the pond to the children seated (or standing) around her. "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, and I have no desire to claim that title from her."

"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," she continued. "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. What you do on your own time, however, is your business."

She waved the stack of papers sitting in her lap at them. "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 and introduce yourselves, and state for the record whether you believe in destiny, free will, or are currently undecided."

[Wait for the OCD, for that is your destiny! OCD is up and destiny is assured. GO FORTH.]

Comments

Re: Destiny, Free Will, or Other?

[gotyourmateria.livejournal.com]

Yuffie waited until others went before answering, mostly to give herself time to figure out how to say what she wanted to say. She kept rolling the materia globes in her palm while she spoke, because it kept her from looking around at anyone other than Ghanima.

"For some people, they have a destiny, that no matter what it's going to happen, it's just a matter of whether they accept it and make it easy or fight it and hurt a lot of people along the way. For others, it's free will. They can choose whether or not to accept or deviate from the path to destiny."

Re: Destiny, Free Will, or Other?

[atreideslioness]

The materia got an interested glance, moreso because the girl seemed to derive comfort from them than any actual interest in 'oh shiny'.

"What if their destiny is supposedly to destroy everything they hold dear?" Ghanima asked gently. "Wouldn't it be noble to fight against that, if even if means hurting a few people, to protect the general good?"

Re: Destiny, Free Will, or Other?

[gotyourmateria.livejournal.com]

Steal and Throw, two that Yuffie hand long ago mastered, and were more a comfort to her than any stuffed animal could ever be. Handy too.

"Sometimes, if you ask, the ones you hold dear are willing to make the sacrifice if it will protect everyone else." She had just a little bit of experience with that. "If we're talking on a bigger scale... well, there's usually someone there to take you out if you're going to destroy a planet or something."

Re: Destiny, Free Will, or Other?

[atreideslioness]

"How do you distinguish then, between actual destiny or unlucky coincidence?" she countered. "While hindsight is usually 20/20, it can be harder in the moment to know."

Re: Destiny, Free Will, or Other?

[gotyourmateria.livejournal.com]

Yuffie smiled sadly. "Some just know somehow what their destinies are. The rest of us just have to wait until we're told or find out after it happens."