fandomhigh | Destiny & Free Will, Week II [Monday, Period 2]

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destiny and free will

Destiny & Free Will, Week II [Monday, Period 2]

The class met outside by the pond, as ~~handwavily~~ ordered. The flamingos were wandering around Ghanima's improvised classroom, which had plenty of overstuffed pillows for laying about. Along the edges were small low tables, each with two cushions to sit on and various items placed upon them.

Once the bell rang, Ghanima looked up from where she was sprawled on the floor playing with some cards and smiled. "Destiny," she began with preamble, dropping the cards and pushing to her feet. "Refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. It is a concept based on the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the universe."

"Destiny may be seen either as a fixed sequence of events that is inevitable and unchangeable, or that individuals choose their own destiny by choosing different paths throughout their life." Ghanima paused to smile at them briefly. "Confusing, isn't it?"

"Many Greek legends and tales teach the futility of trying to outmaneuver an inexorable fate that has been correctly predicted. This form of irony is important in Greek tragedy, as it is in Oedipus Rex or Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey, where in spite of all the character's attempts otherwise, it does not preclude a horrible fate," she said, wandering the room to pass out a handout on Oedipus.

"Some believe that one's destiny may be ascertained by divination. In the belief systems of many cultures, one's destiny can only be learned about through a shaman, babalawo, prophet, sibyl, saint or seer. In the Shang dynasty in China, turtle bones were thrown ages before the I Ching was codified. Arrows were tossed to read destiny, from Thrace to pagan Mecca. In Yoruba traditional religion, the Ifá oracle is consulted via a string of sixteen cowries or oil-palm nuts whose pattern when thrown on to a wooden tray represents the 256 possible combinations whose named "chapters" are recited and verses interpreted for the client by the babalawo." Ghanima grinned and waved her hand in the international 'blah blah blah' manner. "Every society has their own way of foretelling a future, from worm entrails to crystal balls. My empire put its fate in the hands of a family that can walk the veils of time, forward and back, to see what lies beyond, and now they're stuck with the future that the Mahdi chose. Oracles can be a tricky bunch, and you must always assume that they may have a hidden agenda of their own."

"Today, it's time for you to face your destiny." Ghanima gestured to the tables ringing the room. "Pair up, wander around, and pick a method of divination that speaks to you. Read your own destiny, or that of your partner, and then discuss if you agree or disagree with the results you obtained."

[OOC: OCD UP!]

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"Umm..." Scully looked up the meanings in the nearby book (http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/). "Hunh. Okay, the Moon, it says, "The querent who gets this card should be warned that they may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial, a time when they'll do things that seem to make sense to them, yet when they come out of it they'll wonder, "Why did I do that? It makes no sense!"'" She paused and flipped to the other two cards. "Okay, Six of Pentacles, 'The message to the querent might well be to accept what you're offered now.' And the Page of Wands, hm... 'This card can relate to a time of new learning, new discoveries, new inventions. There is child-like excitement and energy to get things started.'" Scully paused and looked thoughtful. "So, basically, welcome to school at Fandom High?"

Edited 2011-05-17 03:14 (UTC)

Toby had to laugh at that, because, well. Yeah.

"That is pretty accurate, I suppose," he had to admit, giving the cards a thoughtful glance. Was it just coincidence plus descriptions vague enough that they could easily be applied to any situation, or had the cards really been meant for him? He didn't know enough to say, really. "Your turn," he said, taking the deck and shuffling it before dealing out three cards.

"Archetypes can apply to anything," Scully felt compelled to point out, although it was pretty appropriate for a new student. She grinned back and flipped over the cards.

Her cards were the Queen of Swords, the Star, and the Six of Swords. "Hmm.

"Queen of Swords," Toby read out dutifully. "Anything you want to know, this woman knows it, and as such she can mingle with almost anyone. She knows obscure facts, strange tid-bits, and she seems to love nothing better than to pour it all out, give it away like gifts to help people." He raised an eyebrow. "That sound like you?" he had to ask, before continuing on: "The Star: the card's vision is for tomorrow. This means that if the querent is seeking love, a career, fame, wealth or even spiritual enlightenment, they can only be told that it is a possibility. And then the Six of Swords is about a breakthrough moment in a journey or a puzzle. You're not there yet, but the answer is clearer. Or," he added after a beat, "you're due to take a boat ride. One of those."

Scully's eyebrows were climbing, and she had to admit, "Maybe...? I do like knowing things. And explaining them," she said, mildly sheepish. "And maybe the answer is clearer," thinking of the analysis of Triela's blood that she was going to run. Then she smiled wryly. "Or maybe I'll get on a barge tomorrow in order to see the Lighthouse being built."

"So you're a scientist?" Toby had to ask, wondering who Triela was and why Scully was thinking about analyzing her blood.

"Yes?" Had she said that? Scully mentally shrugged, and said, "Biology, and pathology mostly, although I have an interest in physics as well. I work at the Clinic on Thursdays. There's an experiment I'm running... well. It would be nice to have a few answers." She flipped over another card, the Wheel of Fortune. "See, this can mean anything. What about you? What do you like to do?"

No, she hadn't, and Toby totally mentally facepalmed when he realized he'd responded more to her thoughts than anything she'd actually said. Oh well, it wasn't like the question was that much of a leap given her own description of herself, right? "I don't really know," Toby admitted. "I haven't had a lot of time to really think about it."

"I tend to be over-focused," Scully admitted, but she'd already done this once. She knew what worked for her. "Where were you before Fandom?" She paused and added, "And what year?"

"Toronto," Toby answerd. "1996. Seriously, is it obvious or something?" He'd gotten the question more than once, yeah.

"No, just very common," she sighed, pointing to herself. "I'm from the year 2000. Annapolis. I spent most of the first week I was here going back and forth over the Causeway, unable to believe what was happening."

"You can go back?" Toby asked, curious. He hadn't actually given it much thought, just assumed that the causeway just led to one specific place. But then, apparently the island hadn't always been in ancient-Viking-land (and now was somewhere else entirely, apparently, what the hell).

"I go back about once a month, sometimes twice, to visit my mother, and a couple friends," Scully said. "At least, I did before the island moved. I haven't tried since then, but I think I heard someone say they got home fine. And there's always Portalocity." As expensive as that could be over the long-term. "Somehow, usually, the Causeway changes to your own world, and that Baltimore, at the end of the trip."

"What is Portalocity, anyway?" Although if it was expensive, it wasn't exactly going to be a viable option. "I think that's how I got here."

"It's a business that, well, creates portals. To different times, places, and planets," Scully explained. "As well as dimensions. They're not perfectly reliable, but they'll usually get you where you want to go." She tilted her head. "Did you notice a big purple or blue swirly lightening ring, or something? Anything that might have moved you without you knowing it?"

"There was a door marked 'Portalocity'," Toby admitted. "I opened it, because I was curious, and then... there I was, in a room full of kids waiting for the shuttle to this place." So he'd gotten on said shuttle, of course, because why the hell not?

"Ah," Scully said, understanding. Then frowned. "You just got on the shuttle without knowing where it was going?"

"I talked to a couple of the other kids beforehand," Toby defended himself. "Not that any of them really knew all that much about this place, but... it sounded interesting?"

Scully suppressed a smirk, and said, "Well, I can't say you're wrong there. 'Interesting' like the Chinese curse sense. And no one ever knows enough about this place before they get here."

"Would anyone actually send their kids here on purpose if they knew the island teleported or however-the-hell it's moving around?" Toby pointed out.

"Some people send their kids to boarding school for bad reasons," Scully had to point out. "Which is why I don't usually ask people why they're here."

"Point taken," Toby conceded. "Considering the number of times I've been shuffled off somewhere myself? I get that." Somehow he'd just always assumed it was different when it was people's own kids, though.

Scully's curiosity flared up, but she bit her lip on most of the questions that came to mind. "So you've lived other places aside from Toronto?" she said instead, giving him the opening.

"Not unless you count a few months in Brampton," Toby admitted, with a smile that had a wry little twist to it. "I'm a kennel kid," he explained. "Foster families and group homes all the way back."

Scully nodded, sympathy but no pity in her expression. "A lot of the people who find their way here seem to benefit from it," she said obliquely. "The weirdness, and the strange classes-- it's the change a lot of them need." She studied Toby, her face calm, then turning wry. "Even with the invasions. Which I'm sure you've heard about by now."

Destiny & Free Will, Week II [Monday, Period 2]

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