fandomtownies | Fight Club, Atlas Gym, Sunday Evening

"Well, most of you are looking refreshingly back to your original shapes," Ghanima said crisply. "I hope many of you enjoyed your second or third childhoods, and many congratulations on not managing to kill each other with the nerf toys last week."

"Being back to normal means no ball pit this week," Tyler added. "I know. I'm crushed, too. Welcome to Fight Club. Rules are posted over there, and if this is your first week sign in and let us know what your level is."

"Like last time, we'll both be around keeping an eye on things, and I'll be over by the beginner mats for the first bit," Ghanima stated. "Now, you and you. You two. And you two too." She turned to Tyler, smiling brightly. "Care to pick the last victims?"

"You know the way to my heart, Ghanima," Tyler joshed, and looked over the group for a long moment. "You, hiding in the back, and you by the padding. And both of you. And that makes five sets. Go forth and punch."

[Preplayed with

atreideslioness. Up early for SP~~, wait a sec for OCD~~.]

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"I traded in my stones for a baby carrier."

Another quirk of a smirk.

"Otherwise... simple world domination'll cut it." He tilted his head at the same fighters she was granting so much of her attention. "My people believe that anyone can change the future," he said, "Even if you know it, the right shove - pebble, if we're using this metaphor - can put it on some other course."

"Some would say that guardianship of a child is the largest 'pebble' of all," Ghanima replied sweetly. Only one world? "Too many oracles shoving at the future is nothing but trouble. I would rather eliminate 'knowing' and simply allow everyone experience it for themselves."

"I've seen the future without meddling," he said, dropping the smirk. Gradually. "It's a lot less constructive than you'd think... a lot of people 'experiencing it' over someone else's back."

He'd been one of those kids currently wrestling around in the gym.

"I've seen it with meddling, and it ends with the extinction of humanity in my universe," she said simply. "Mindless sheep following the oracle, eventual stagnation, and death. I would rather have the unending conflict that forces change and evolution, rather than let humanity die without a whimper."

"It doesn't have to be one or the other," he replied, mildly. "Under the right leadership, there's the possibility for a middle ground. Progress without cruelty, if we're going to think in these terms. Humanity has always done well at reading things in terms of black and white, without acknowledging the advantages of both. An army of men pushing at history might do as much damage as none at all, and we could be arguing about which kind of damage was best for the next few centuries. It won't help solve the problem."

"'Under the right leadership.'" Ghanima couldn't help the bitter tone that colored her words. "Who chooses that? Me? You? Then we're no better than the oppressors you seem to dislike so much. If humanity is ever to realize their own potential, they have to outgrow their messiahs."

Including her father. Even turning their backs on Leto, the ungrateful creatures. Tyrant. Her-Leto had shared that part of his vision with her and laughed, but Ghanima could see how much it hurt him.

"My family has a gift," she explained, lacing her fingers together. "Should we dare to use it, that is. We can stand at the center and see all possible futures."

"I think you can see why I would rather put the future in the hands of all humans, rather than a select few." The possibility for abuse, for humans to become too dependent on being told what to do rather than self-choice, for worse suffering was too high. "They must learn to act, not react, or absolute future becomes absolute death."

"The people," he said, easily, in an answer to her first question. "They're all perfectly capable of working together, given a good incentive. A good leader just gives the push... and then falls to the background to let them work it out on their own."

Like the Rumeki.

"I grew up in my world's future," he offered, "A madman took control using simple principles: cast conflict upon the world, and whoever comes out strongest lives. The result wasn't pretty. We survived, but barely."

Fight Club, Atlas Gym, Sunday Evening

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