#a choice of catastrophes

[cinematic-literature]

Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021) by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Book title

A Choice of Catastrophes (1979) by Isaac Asimov

The Surrealist Revolution in France (1969) by Herbert S. Gershman

Lope De Vega: Five Plays (1961) by Lope Felix De Vega Carpio

Son of a Wanted Man (1984) by Louis L'Amour

Yesterday Is Dead (1976) by Dallas Barnes

#Louis Dearborn LaMoore #american literature #louis l'amour #son of a wanted man #tick tick boom #lin manuel miranda #a choice of catastrophes #isaac asimov #the surrealist revolution in france #herbert s. gershman #lope de vega #dallas barnes #yesterday is dead #books in movies #spanish literature

[quasi-normalcy]

Nuclear war would be bad, but at least nuclear physics are cool; the physics of global warming are So. Boring.

#a choice of catastrophes

[thesoundofanicefall]

He promised to save Shinya

He promised to save Yuu

He promised to save Mikaela

He promised to save Kureto

He promised to save the world

But the exact question is: will there be anyone to save him at the end....?

#I hate him for being the only character who could break my heart to this point like this #Like Guren always promise something to the others that no one offered it to him back #And I think we all know how his end will most probably be... #Yeah Shinya would be a good choice to be the one who'll save him but #With whatever Kagami's doing I doubt Shinya will be that one too #Cause this is always Guren who should save Shinya #owari no seraph #seraph of the end #guren ichinose #ichinose guren #catastrophe at 16 #guren ichinose catastrophe at 16 #ichinose guren catastrophe at 16 #gurencatastropheat16 #ons #shinya hiragi #hiragi shinya #hiiragi shinya #shinya hiiragi #man he is literary the most tragic character of this story... #mahiru hiiragi #hiiragi mahiu #mahiru hiragi #hiragi mahiru #kureto hiiragi #hiiragi kureto #hiragi kureto #kureto hiragi #hyakuya mikaela #mikaela hyakuya

[sharing-a-room-with-an-open-fire]

Important differences between Ukrainian and Russian military

🇺🇦 Ukrainian military 🇺🇦

🇷🇺 Russian military 🇷🇺

#ukraine #meme #tolkien #signal boost #peace #humanity #people #heroes #population #monsters #orcs #capitalism #imperialism #catastrophe #take a stand #make a choice #help #lotr memes #lord of the rings #di on tumblr

[gaybellethorn]

mh having its central theme be 'embrace your freaky flaws!' immediately followed by eah's central theme of 'repression. repression. secrets. guilt. etc' is so funny

like cerise never gets to take her hood down. cedar never gets the truth curse lifted. the ohairs have to keep hiding the truth of their heritage because it's just easier.

eah is in this weird doll franchise storytelling limbo where the plot itself is allowed to grow and develop and change but the characters have to remain totally stagnant because otherwise it might hurt brand recognition. briar can decide to turn rebel if she wants but ultimately her story still needs to hinge on her destiny of the 100 years of sleep because she's 'the sleeping beauty one'.

and then i, gaybellethorn, eah understander, argue that it's actually very clever and big brained and thematically resonant because it encapsulates how these characters are like self aware stock characters, they know they're one dimensional with just enough characterisation to experience grief at their lot in life but no agency to actually change it because they have to tell us a story, the same story, over and over, prometheus and the eagle. the premise of the show is predicated on the fact that these are the sons and daughters of fairy tale characters, they're not fairy tale characters themselves YET, there's still time before the fall, they could save themselves if they wanted, but youre a doll in a toy franchise called ever after high. obviously you can't.

#ever after high #.txtpst #if eah was about what i think eah is about itd be the greatest media property of all time. which is lucky because it is. #the most themes and narratives of all time like #side tangent but briar dropping the book of legacy in the well at the end of thronecoming is one of my FAVV plot points in the whole series #like at this point shes not a main character but not a side character either #so shes at this min max extreme of minimum personal agency and maximum self awareness and grief over it #she cant just Make the decision to turn rebel and jeopardise everyones future #especially when the main character who COULD make that choice (raven) has taken her decision back and decides to play destiny instead #so she decides to Not Decide. take agency away from everyone. and gets rid of the book #it's so selfish and catastrophic in the name of not being singled out or culpable!!!! it's so interesting and such a WEIRD dramatic gut #punch to end The 45 Minute Special Called Thronecoming on!!!!!! eah is so WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #and then they literally never go back to it and it makes me want to cry like they just never have briar be a main player in the book of #legacy plot ever again!!!!!!!! what the fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!! #like boring stupid analytical answer is she threw the book away and making the Decision to be a side character who doesnt decide things #so it makes sense that shes just not in the story anymore. like instead of chasing what little agency she could she carved out what little #interiority she had instead so at least she doesnt have a spotlight on that grief and stagnation for the audience to :( over anymore #BUT THAT SUCKS AND IS SO GRIM. I WANT BRIAR TO BE A CHARACTER. #me meta

[kayliskian]

Chicago based experimental rock band covers Secular Haze by ghost in their new 2017 album “A Choice of Catastrophes”

#ghost band #ghost bc #secular haze #Tub ring #a choice of catastrophes #experimental rock #cover

[thedreadvampy]

I need to have like a Serious Trauma Talk with my partners bc I am realising that both of them have said they've known me for almost a decade and they know almost nothing about what my deal actual is. Shadows and whispers, says Kofi (actually they said a Tolkien quote but who am I, a Memory Person?)

but like. now I've raised the issue but NOT had the conversation I'm like. picking at the conversation in my head. I don't have like a Set Time to talk about this stuff and so I have nowhere to put this I'm just turning over and trying to rehearse the best way to explain Wha' Happun where like. I don't just say something very basic and surface level but it's also not a 6 hour therapy session.

and also there's this problem I've already been having with doing this in therapy which is like. there's a LOT to unpack. like we're talking a 10 year pick and mix of Various Traumas every few months and there are more and less significant ones but none of them are The Big Trauma they're all. cumulative. and I can't stop and explain them all we'd be here for weeks and also half of them I Don't Even Really Know. So I really have to edit it down to the highlights, you know? prepare a short presentation. a monologue. perhaps through the medium of interpretive dance.

#i have said this a bunch but #i FEEL like i talk explicitly about this stuff literally all the time to the point it's annoying #and yet nobody knows what happened and I'm like????? WHAT HAVE I BEEN SAYING THEN DOES ANYTHING I SAY MAKE SENSE???? #which like. not really i guess. i think i take a lot as read where it isn't really. #i considered just handing them the timeline i made in therapy #but that's not very explanatory and it also is a bit raw tbh #it's Notes On When Traumas Happened more than explanations of What Trauma Was #it's an aide memoire for further therapy convos #it is useful though. very much recommend timelining as a trauma treatment process. #my initial plan was to talk about my Hellyear but the more i think about it the more i don't know where that starts #bc that was my first year of uni but like the reason i was such a catastrophe then #was partially that i was coming out of an abusive 2 year relationship anda bunch of other trauma #and part of the reason i ended up in that relationship was bc i spent lower 6th in a trauma haze making terrible choices #and now we're already 4 years back from the end of the supposed 'hellyear' #and i also need to tread carefully bc the 'hellyear' was the year i started both these relationships #they were bright spots in a bad time but i probably also. didn't get into them for great reasons #as much as bc i was spiralling out and desperately needed connection and support #NOW I'm in then for sensible clear and loving reasons and I'm profoundly glad of the relationships i have #i was so lucky to find such good people at such an otherwise shitty time #but like. aside from the expected upset that Bad Things Happened To Someone I Love this stuff is not. impersonal. #like my partners are part of the story i need to tell

[alexkablob]

anyway these are my only actual predictions at this juncture

emerald brings the lamp and oscar along with her and meanwhile winter brings [checks notes] the entire kingdom of atlas

#for every good choice there must be a catastrophically worse choice #rwby spoilers #no i'm not character tagging this because people will get weird at me #I actually made this meme weeks ago

[worstloki]

plot twist: Tessy could destroy Loki too. She just chooses not to and lets him hold her.

this isn't a plot twist, the mind stone could've destroyed him too, and i bet the aether was close enough to too

#absolutely convinced that the other stones would be a great extended family #i need a sitcom #Loki and The Infinity Stones: Now Streaming on Disney+ #TVA: so you might be wondering why we brought you here #Loki: and stole my stuff yes. #TVA: the avengers messed up the timelines and STeve Rogers is too busy smooching up a storm to return the stones #Loki: he wouldn't do that he's a righteous Avenger #TVA: *brings up footage* #Loki: *cringes* Why would you show me that #TVA: *changes the footage* because Steve buried a case with all the infinity stones in his backyard just before this #Loki: huh #TVA: you're the only loose end that needs to be tied and you have an unusual affinity with the STones' compliance. the natural choice here. #Loki: why would i help you? you have agents. do it yourself. #TVA: when you're done we'll let you keep your tesseract as well as 1 alternate timeline for yourself #Loki finishes returning all the stones in episode 1 and the other 5 are dedicated to a sitcom where loki found them in the 2nd timeline #sitcom ensues as every sitcom-y gag ends up being catastrophic for that universe at large #*turns light on in living room and finds loki on couch* Loki: I'M SLEEPING TURN IT OFF #Aether: *panicks and sends the city block into darkness* #anyway #infinoki #kind of #tesseroki #mind stone and loki are rivals but healthy ones that will fight over which roadtrip route is best

[suttttton]

me 🤝 my mom undiagnosed anxiety disorders

#the older i get the clearer it becomes that me and my mom catastrophize about things very similarly #difference is i found healthy coping mechanisms while my mom found homophobic death cult evangelical christianity #of course this realization makes me feel very bad for my mom because like. i get it. #she tells me that she worries about me and i know she doesn't mean the normal way moms worry about their kids i know she actually means #that she has a creeping suspicion that my life choices are going to send me to hell and she feels powerless to stop it #and her brain will not let her think about anything else so 24/7 its just alarms blaring #and because she's constructed her entire belief system around having anxiety she's like. this fear i feel is a message from god. #and i have no idea how to help her #like???? #she's literally believed these things fro her entire life giving them up feels like the end of the world #and her WHOLE FAMILY is there with her so even if she could realize she'd be happier without these beliefs #she'd immediately have a dozen trusted voices telling her no actually. your anxiety is correct and you're right to afraid all the time #for awhile when i was like. 18-19. the major question i had about my childhood was WHY didn't my mom never take me to therapy #because yeah okay she came from a culture where therapy isn't trusted and god is supposed to fix all your mental illnesses #but she read all the parenting books and universally took experts' advice over what she'd learned from her own parents #(because she knew her parents hadn't done a great job and didn't want to repeat their mistakes) #and she KNEW i was REALLY bad. i was crying all the time having her drive me to the bookstore to get books i thought might help #sending myself into anxious spirals if anyone mentioned death around me #not a fun time in my life or her life #and she DID take me to talk to my pediatrician about it so like??? why did we never see a therapist??? #i was 9 i though there was just nothing that could be done but???????? #but now i realize that what happened to me back then didn't really scan in my mother's head as something wrong with me #because she was the same way #:/

[heauxplesslydevoted]

If Ethan ain’t giving out prescriptions for vitamin d(ick) tomorrow, y’all can keep the whole chapter @playchoices

#yes this is catastrophically thirsty #no i will nawt be apologizing 😌 #playchoices #choices: stories you play #open heart #ethan ramsey

[locria-writes]

untitled pt. 3/?

general notes -- enemy-kun??? where is he???

III.

24 May, 2X98

“Do you think the Lunar Fleet will really take over?”

“I think so. Their ships have been coming here all week.”

“Is it just us, or are they doing that everywhere?”

“I don’t know, but my sister-in-law lives in Libertas Three and said she saw the Lunar Fleet enter Libertas One.”

“How scary…say, Honos is such a small colony, so they wouldn’t get violent with us, right?”

“I hope not. We’re a peaceful place, I don’t think we could hide anything.”

Symphora pretended like she heard nothing, a feeble attempt to spare herself from rousing the ever-present anxiety inside of her, which promptly failed when she nearly jumped at the buzz of her phone.

“Sun, where are you right now?” Her employer, Clarus Barsamian, immediately began talking, not even waiting to confirm she was listening.

“Um, Honos One?”

“Yeah, yeah, where exactly?”

“The market of First Square?”

“Great, get to the Lunar Territories’ embassy and tell them we can’t do it.”

“Sir, I don’t work Saturdays, and I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Barsamian sighed loudly from his end. “The Lunar Fleet gave all of us a list of whitelisted companies we’re allowed to ship to. I don’t need to tell you how many of our clients didn’t make the cut.”

She was quiet for a moment, letting the information sink in. “They asked this of all companies?”

“Yes, and because I’m heading the Honos Shipping Union, we were asked to tell them to stuff it.”

“I get that, but why do I have to do it?”

“Because, Sun!” He sounded exasperated, like he couldn’t understand her hesitancy. “You worked for the military during the Third War, right? You’re used to dealing with these military type people, so go give them a piece of our mind!”

“Firstly, sir, I was a pilot, not rear service. Secondly, I don’t even know – “

“I’ve sent a document outlining the situation. Do as you see fit, and good luck, Sun.” With that, the line was cut, and she stood there, baffled, and unsure of exactly what was happening.

“Fuck, I don’t get paid enough for this.” It was times like this that she sometimes wanted to strangle Barsamian for bulldozing his way through things.

While walking to the embassy, she went over the document – protestations that this was an illegal move, there was no precedent (at least, she hoped there was none), and so on and so on. She didn’t know what Barsamian expected her to do, since she figured the Lunar Fleet would just ignore her. There might be a few effective threats she could pull, but that would all hinge on her bluffs not being called. She was grateful at least, that her clothes were at least mostly acceptable, and she silently thanked her father for drilling the importance of looking put-together at all times into her.

Without even the faintest idea of who to look for, she tried to calm her racing heart, and marched into the embassy. Stating who she represented would probably be enough to get nudged in the right direction, or maybe asking for a liaison officer, or maybe just breaking down in tears and hysterics would suffice. Oh well, that could always be a last ditch effort if nothing else worked.

To her dismay (or perhaps her good fortune), the embassy was packed full of people. Soldiers, bureaucrats, and civilians alike milled around, likely all busy from the inevitable Lunar occupation. Symphora grabbed a ticket, noting the 179 on it. They were currently calling 94 and it was already 11:35, and lunch was quickly approaching. Most of the embassy staff would be off for lunch, and only a handful of receptionists would continue through it, meaning it would probably be mid-late afternoon by the time they got to her. What a waste of her day off…

She found herself a little alcove to hide in, the perfect spot to keep away from others’ prying gazes, and with a fairly good vantage point of the rest of the foyer. The one thing she disliked though, was that she couldn’t see a secondary exit from this point, and there was a less-than-straight path to the main door, but oh well, that was life. There was a Lunar soldier to her left, eating his lunch while taking a call, presumably a young child, judging by the and to her right was a greying woman who kept scrolling through her phone, probably a civilian looking to renew her visa. Feeling awkward and out of place, she took out her own phone, and began re-reading the document Barsamian sent her.

As much as she silently cursed Clarus Barsamian, she was still grateful for his help. When the Third War ended in disaster, and she had no idea what to do with her life, he offered her a job (of dubious legality, but a paying job nonetheless), got her a place to live, and helped her adapt to a life closer to normalcy. They hadn’t ever properly met before, but she did remember seeing him with her father a few times, and Barsamian told her it was the least he could do for such his old associate’s daughter.

It seemed strange at first that a comparatively small company like Barsamian Stellar Shipping (and to a lesser extent, the Honos Shipping Union) would be so close to S-V Industries (let alone her father), but the more Symphora thought about it, the less weird it became. Business was amoral and full of grey legalities, so she just accepted that this was what it was, and deigned not to probe any further. Besides, it wasn’t like she planned on staying here for the rest of her life, and S-V Industries was now just a relic of the past, and beyond any of her concern. All she had to do now was continue on with her original life plan – work like hell, complain about work, and work until she died because there was no other way of living.

#personal writing catastrophe #it's very nice to write a disaster mc who is proactive in causing said disasters #very fun i enjoy it a lot 11/10 would recommend #do i know where i'm going with this story and how it's going to end? #absolutely not just pantsing tf outta this like i always do with my own writing stuff #i'm allergic to good choices like i've always said

[clairenatural]

They should have let Cas wear different outfits more often

YEAH I get that the coat/suit is his Angel Uniform (and I do love it) but I’m still mourning that they never put cas in hunter clothing when he was human/badly injured/just because. they couldn’t do it because dean simply would not know how to behave but they should have

#we all know how dean reacted seein him in his standard clothing but clean in s8. can u imagine #if they had put cas in flannel #it would have been a catastrophe #also unrelated but i think a lot abt that cut scene of cas stitching up the coat by hand like. #he has so few things that are his and the coat is HIS and he'll take care of it and love it and never take it off #and i appreciate that and it makes him only wearing One Thing Ever a good character choice #but then they!!! cut that scene!!!!! #destiel #answered #Anonymous

[duelistkingdom]

the fact they didn’t let aki have psychic powers specifically so she would be knocked out by the crash as if the fact her bike is totaled would be Enough to stop her from being able to participate really is... grating. like. aki really is getting fuckin shafted

#anya watches 5d's sub #also nice choice to have /crow/ be the one to get intensely angry about catastrophe nearly killing aki #and they took away yusei being the only one to call aki by her given name #this is literally /worse/ than yusei winning because guy got hot and bothered over yusei

[bae-guevara]

JUST IN: Pentagon declares climate change a "national security issue" https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1354551531731906560?s=20

but in fact:

The only thing this bs directive does is allow the administration to pretend that it’s making good on its promise to take climate change seriously. As well as allowing them to pretend they actually care and are trying to do something about climate change, this also allows them to funnel even more money into the coffers of the defence industry on the pretence of investing in new 'green' technologies and hardware.

#liberalism is a disease #anti imperialism #anti corporations #anti colonialism #anti capitalism #biden isn't a better choice #us politics #anarchism #socialism #communism #climateemergency #climate change #global warming #climate catastrophe #eco anarchy

[tenacioustomfoolery]

What is the s word?

#if I knew that lying to you about curse words in third grade would have such catastrophic consequences perhaps I would have made better life #choices #😔

[kachulein]

Also have fun in town, I love you !!!!! 🤧🥺💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗

I love you too!! And thank you😭🥺💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜💗💜

#It was fun!! I haven't seen my friend since last year so it was amazing catching up face to face after such a long time #we're often in contact since we study together but we never really manage to meet up akdslld #her birthday was at the end of june and i gave my present to her now skkdkd #but anyway it was great to catch up!! #but the coffee shop we were at didn't have any snacks??? and i couldn't eat anything #that's usually not a problem for me but i think i hadn't eaten in too long and suddenly i got extremely dizzy #i'm not sure whether the dizziness was from anxiety or a lack of food or maybe both but it only got worse and all my other anxiety symptoms #set in #it was close to going home though so i was like okay i just need to make it home safely now #but it was difficult to go by bus and train since that's one of my biggest triggers #but i didn't have any other choice so i just;;; put on my big girl pants and went through with it #i listened to a calming guided meditation which helped me calm down a bit and i kept repeating positive affirmations to myself #instead of catastrophizing and it helped me hold on until i made it back home safely🤚🏻😭 #i quickly ate something and mom gave me a few foods (nuts and cheese) that will give me energy and now i feel better #i'm still trying to calm my system since it was really stressful but i'm happy i got through it😭😭 #and seeing my friend again was nice too and she loved my present so i will focus on that <3 #ask #lovely mooties💞 #http peachie🍑 #💜💗bestie💗💜 #(sorry for the ramble nakdkksks)

[kiaraspeaks]

Everyone: Michael please think of literally the bigger picture and not just individual people. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the betterment of the Federation.

Michael in 3x12:

#star trek discovery #spoilers #star trek discovery spoilers #And i also think its disingenuous of anyone to pretend that ossyra having the spore drive is anything less than catastrophic #Paul will live and the spore drive can be rebuilt but the universe cannot be repaired when we have a capitalism is fine walking mouth piece #and also ossyra surrounds herself with children who she manipulates or mercenaries who have no other choice because its that or starve #There are ways to create truths that are not even a little bit true. If someone just broke into my house and then asked to call it our house #Michael is right to go full diehard #See what happens when you punish your characters for growth?? And the fact hugh told her not to bother returninf if its more than 24 hours?? #Anyway michael needs goddamn therapy #they really begged michael to quit acting like that™ and now they want her back #Also Paul is the one who bears the weight of their decisions losing both adira and hugh at once

[kaerou]

realized in all of ritsu’s verses ( main , genshin , arknights ) she always starts off with long hair but somewhere along the lines she always lops it off ... me makin this symbolic its usually at a time where she decides to want to start anew ... and along that a loss of her innocence , her past self .

#RITSUKA. // headcanons. #arknights it gets singed off from the catastrophe she got stuck in; and then she recovers at rhodes #takes her a while to make that choice but she realizes she has a better chance at life here even if she struggled to find the meaning to #hers if its not meant to guide others #genshin she cuts it off at some point during the long winded chase as the fatui wants her #shes not the foolish girl they thought of anymore #fgo is a little more trickier bc she WANTS to channel back her old self ; her kindness and patience and all inbetween #but knows shes too far gone for that kind of normalcy again #so she never grows her hair back until after grand order (as amaia)

[treppenwitzzarc]

the    curse    of    the    black    sun    is    considered    a    myth.    few    are    those    who    truly    believe    it    --    at    least,    until    the    mage    eltibald    prophesies    the    end    of    human    civilization    in    the    hands    of    sixty    girls    born    during    the    black    sun.    he    thought    that    the    girls    would    turn    into    cruels    creatures    &    bring    about    the    return    of    the    goddess    lilit,    therefore    setting    forth    the    end    of    the    world.    

his    interpretation    lacks    precision    &    rigor.    what    he    prophesies    as    the    return    of    lilit-niya    is    in    fact    the    unprecedented    birth    of    a    dragon.    the    confusion    is    due    to    the    mythological    figure    of    lilit    as    the    bloodthirtsy    beast,    hungry    for    sheep,    that    appears    in    werebbubb    mythology.    he    reads    about    women    being    given    shelter    from    the    abuses    of    men    and    immediately    links    it    to    the    cult,    without    considering    one    instant    that    it    might    only    be    forecasts    of    what    is    about    to    come.    

still,    you    only    need    a    few    decades    and    some    badly-done    rewriting    of    the    story    for    the    fear    to    be    instilled    in    people's    hearts.    everywhere,    we    whisper    that    sixty    girls    bearing    gold    crowns    will    fill    the    river    valleys    with    blood    if    no    one    tries    to    stop    them.    

what    the    curse    really    entails,    no    one    would    be    able    to    tell.    ishtar    has    some    ideas,    and    the    elven    sage    who    taught    her    everything,    malborne,    had    some    as    well,    but    really,    no    one    has    ever    taken    the    time    to    study    it.    

divination    mages    would    tell    you    that    a    solar    eclipse    tends    to    be    interpreted    as    a    warning    from    fate    that    things    might    get    more    complicated    than    intended    :    things    will    get    in    the    way    of    what    we    want    and    the    path    we    must    take    to    get    it.    this    is,    indeed,    what    happens    to    istar    :    she    becomes    an    obstacle    on    destiny's    path.    

the    girl    born    under    the    black    sun    does    not    belong    to    the    realm    of    possibilities.    she    has    almost    no    destiny    &    that    is    why    she    is    perceived    as    the    end.    she    escapes    the    schemes    and    machinations    of    men,    and    even    gods    would    have    trouble    predicting    what    she    might    or    might    no    do    in    the    future.    while    most    have    their    fate    set    in    stone,    each    choice    a    causal    reaction    to    past    actions,    ishtar    has    the    freedom    of    forever    reinventing    herself.    

this    freedom,    she    gains    it    from    being    part    of    fate    itself.    she    has    inner    insight    on    what    is    bound    to    happen,    frequent    glimpses    on    the    grand    scheme    of    things,    while    most    seers    can    only    hope    for    a    single    look,    once    every    blue    moon.    one    would    call    her    a    spy,    as    she    escapes    destiny's    scrutiny.    what    fate    sees    is    only    what    is    bound    to    happen    ;    one    choice    leading    to    another.    but    ishtar    __    being    given    the    right    to    see    beforehand    the    consequences    of    actions    she    has    yet    to    accomplish    __    has    the    luxury    of    not    making    a    choice    that    she    was    bound    to    make,    if    she    had    not    had    this    additional    insight    on    a    situation.

what    led    eltlibald    to    believe    that    the    girl    would    be    a    goddess-like    figure    is    that    each    prophecy    talks    of    power.    that    is    indeed    what    happens    to    ishtar    :    at    destiny's    source,    not    only    can    she    gain    prophecies,    but    power    as    well.    that    is    why    her    brand    of    magic    is    so    unique.    it    is    magic    itself,    wielded    by    hands    that    should    not    have    the    capacity    to    handle    it    :    those    with    too    much    hubris    that    have    tried    it    have    been    punished    by    fate,    their    minds    doomed    to    madness.    

magic    emerges    from    fate    itself    :    what    is    called    destiny    is    magic,    and    vice    versa.    two    people    are    linked    by    fate    because    a    magic    binding    has    occurred    between    them.    a    djinn    wish    is    an    excellent    example    of    that.    destiny    is    the    world    in    which    they    live    and    so    most    people,    sorcerers    and    sages    alike,    abide    by    its    rules.

that    is    why    most    elf    sages    are    also    experts    in    divination    :    in    order    to    fully    control    magic,    you    have    to    understand    its    source,    and    its    source    is    the    future,    in    which    all    possibilities    exist.    so    when    a    mage    invokes    fire,    they    do    not    create    it    out    of    thin    air,    they    actually    give    existence    to    something    that    may    happen.    

this    allows    mages    to    be    put    into    three    categories    :    

the    first    one    is    for    those    who    are    cursed,    destiny-chosen,    elf    sages    or    with    elder    blood.    they    do    not    follow    fate's    rules    :    they    can    invent    possibilities    out    of    thin    air    and    can    give    life    to    impossible    deeds.    this    is    what    allows    ciri    to    escape    the    confines    of    time    &    space    __    fate    does    not    work    on    her    as    it    does    on    others.    her    brand    of    magic    allows    her    to    change    the    rules    for    herself.    

the    second    one    is    for    the    elf    mages,    who    have    a    more    acute    understanding    of    fate,    that    they    see    as    a    welcoming    &    protective    deity,    making    it    easier    for    them    to    barter.    instead    of    paying    a    price,    they    exchange    :    by    protecting    fate's    realm    (the    forests,    the    creatures,    the    magic    sites),    fate    lends    them    enough    power    to    do    as    they    wish.    this    results    in    stronger    rituals    than    what    human    sorcerers    are    capable    of.    this    is    also    a    category    in    which    most    druids    can    fall,    even    if    human    druids    still    tend    to    imagine    magic    as    chaotic    &    malevolent,    tempering    its    effect    with    the    use    of    plants    and    potions.

finally,    human    sorcerers.    their    understanding    of    fate    is    very    dependent    on    their    age    :    most    learn    magic    in    an    academy    that    calls    it    chaos    &    therefore,    turns    it    into    a    foreign,    dangerous    force.    this    makes    it    harder    for    them    to    barter,    and    so    has    been    created    the    idea    of    balance    :    you    cannot    create    without    sacrifice.    each    spell    has    a    price    that    you    have    to    pay.    this    is    why,    for    a    thunderbolt    to    fall,    a    flower    has    to    wilt.    very    old    human    sorcerers    sometimes    gain    sufficient    knowledge    to    escape    the    confines    of    their    education,    but    it    is    rare        __    the    idea    too    ingrained,    and    that    is    why    human    mages    tend    to    be    less    powerful    than    elf    sages.    

#long post / #ISHTAR OF SILTIAMA headcanons . #also thats why stregobor was so set into getting rid of the girls/experimenting on them : he wanted to know the source of that power #and wanted it for himself ofc #also !! this is how the curse works on ishtar specifically bc she was born w the ability to perform magic #the curse would b very diff depending on the girls and their upbringing #like for instance the legends talk abt the dragon bc its the one thing fated for ishtar #just like the legends only mention a woman saving other women & children from men bc thats what renfri did #and there would b 58 other diff legends for the other girls #but the main point is that each girl is linked to destiny one way or another #ex: renfri had very strange... prophetic behaviours in the show or when she said she wouldn't be able to stop? could b the experimentation d #one to her or could b the fact that she's /forced/ to follow destiny's plan once it's set in stone #like the moment geralt decides to fight her then she has no choice but to fight him #even if she knows it'll b her death #like each girl has insight but the effect of that insight is very diff #and could lead to catastrophes #which is why it was prophesied as the end of the world oof) #... OK NOW IM DONE