prismatica | [text, anonymous]

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[text, anonymous]

I'm not certain how common a problem this is, really, but I'm curious about something.

Say you've encountered someone from your world's future, and you find out your own life goes... off the rails, so to speak, for reasons that are largely your fault and that you'd likely have the ability to change. Do you think there's any actual chance for us to change our fates based on that information? Or are we simply... stuck like this.

...I really have no idea if this is a philosophical question or if anyone has actual answers. Either way, I'd imagine I'm not the only person having this issue.

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If we remember our time here when we return, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to change things, at least a little. If those events were fated, then you arriving here, learning about your future, and resolving to do things differently this time around was also fated.

That's really the confusing part, though. I assume it all boils down to things like multiple universes, because I would imagine if it was possible the people I've met here would be... different.

Multiple universes, divergent timelines, things like that. I've met people here who shared my name and the names of my friends but were most certainly different people from different places.

You know, I suppose it's not too strange to have people with the same name, all things considered, but if the name of your friends are the same that's where it starts getting a bit strange. I suppose that's the explanation that makes the most sense, though.

It's more than a bit weird, but I've gotten used to it, and it's actually sort of fun to figure out the similarities and differences in our friends.

I guess that's the best way to approach something that strange. You may as well appreciate getting to experience something like that instead of letting your mind shut down.

Dealing with the strange and mind-boggling is part of my specialty as an author.

no reason you can't give it a shit
better that than just accepting you're doomed to be an asshole

Oh, I do intend to change things if I'm actually given the opportunity to do so. Mostly I'm just wondering whether I should bother getting my hopes up or if I should just accept things as they are.

I've been wondering about this, myself. If I have any chance to change the future, I want to take it.

But if I can't...then that means I'm fated to die before I can complete my life's goal, after foolishly trying to stop my rival and best friend from doing it himself.

Well, I understand that to a certain extent. I'm not sure if I feel better that I'm not the only person in this sort of situation, because it's... a deeply unpleasant situation to be in.

[Hey look, it's your not!airbender friend with an obvious username.]

You can use that information to change how you live your life here.

Well, I intend to, but how long is that even going to be a factor? I suppose we've shown no signs of getting a proper opportunity to go back home, but...

Until we encounter someone who has gone back home and then somehow returned back here, we have no way of knowing if there is a way to change our fates in our own worlds. But changing your behaviour here and making a habit makes it more likely that you would change things if you got home.

I guess that's the only way one can approach it, isn't it? Well, I suppose that's what I'll have to do and just... hope for the best.

In the meantime you can make use of your opportunities here. We have no idea when we can go home or if that will ever happen anyway.

You're right about that. And really, I do want to do that, it's just... been somewhat difficult with the future hanging over me.

What you need to ask yourself is why a possible future is holding you back.

I hope that simply learning of your future might grant you the chance to begin seeking the steps to change something untoward that may happen to you. I doubt it will be that easy, however.

In my world, such a power exists. The ability to change the future may come as a burden. Not everyone can wield it. It's dangerous.

Oh, I can imagine it'd be dangerous in the wrong hands, and perhaps... mine aren't the right ones anyway. The only other option is just staring at an unfortunate future and just letting it happen, though, which isn't something I really want to do.

I'm sorry...

It sounds like a helpless situation.

But I think that it's good that you're not accepting it for what it is. I doubt many of us believed that we would all be brought here. Perhaps, there is still a way to change yours.

Maybe our very presence here has caused some sort of unavoidable change in our fates, so we'll have to deal with it anyway. Though, I'm not sure if that's for the best or not.

I apparently die in my very recent future! And completely because of my own actions!

I don't think I particularly want to change things, though. If I do, then others die instead, and they have so much potential that I don't think I could make that call for my own sake. If you wanted to change it, however...You probably could. Assuming we don't go back home and promptly lose all of the lessons and memories from here!

You know... that actually sounds much more difficult to face than what I'm facing, so I suppose I can't say I feel that bad about it anymore. Do you think you could perhaps save yourself and the others, though?

We all have our own troubles; just because mine's slightly dire, that doesn't make your worries any lesser. I'm content, though. Because of me, my friends can live; I don't know if I can save myself, but I don't really mind doing the right thing.

It's a little harder now because I can actually have my life back for a moment, but I think I'll come to the same conclusions in the end, no matter what. So, it's more a matter of resolve; is your poor luck going to affect others positively or negatively, in the long run?

I've wondered this as well. An acquaintance of mine recently arrived and told me that he could tell I wasn't from the same time as him with just a glance. On top of that, he refuses to tell me the reason why. Isn't that ominous? Something definitely happened, and it couldn't have been good. If it were, why the secrecy?

I suppose that doesn't really answer your question, but when I asked him why he wouldn't tell me, he told me that even if he did, nothing would change; it was too clear to him that we must not remember our time here. I don't think that's necessarily true, though. There's strange magic at play here already. What's to say we can't retain our memories and make use of them when we return?

Your fate is decided by yourself, isn't it? So if we know something will happen and why, we can at least try to avoid what would be inevitable. If you yourself are the cause of whatever happens in your future, then you should absolutely be able to change it!

Well, that seems supremely unhelpful of your acquaintance. Mine were almost too happy to tell me what I could look forward to, so I actually know what I could do, but... really, I don't see the point in assuming nothing will change. Unless you end up dealing with some sort of illness or something that you couldn't actually avoid, which... well, I suppose that would be understandable, but it still seems somewhat maddening.

I know a thing or two about fate. I can tell you that it is what we make of it. If you wish to not see this future happen, simply do not take the actions leading to it. It is not difficult.

Oh, of course. It's a matter of... well, will I know not to take those actions in the future? I did what I did because I thought I was doing the right thing, even if my methods were a bit extreme... but they weren't as justifiable as I thought in hindsight.

That I cannot say. I do not know the limitations of your abilities. However, the future is never set in stone until it becomes the past. If you truly wish to see your fate avoided you must MAKE it so you avoid it. Do not fret over something like 'if'. Just do it. If you truly care as much as you seem to, you will be able to.

I'll keep that in mind. It is fairly interesting to see all the different perspectives on the idea, if nothing else, even if I know what my actual plans are.

All one can do is try when the moment comes. If it comes.

But fate has a funny way of righting itself too.

I think it'd better to try and fail to right something than to leave it go. Unless you end up making something worse, I suppose.

Perhaps. I cannot say that I wouldn't try. Though whether it could or should work is another thing.

man just try and be better if you're worried
some things don't change even if you're prepared or go really fucked
some Final Destination shit

I'm... not quite familiar with the reference, but I think I understand the gist of what you're saying. I would hope everything would be better for everyone, but given that I thought I was right before things went poorly...

Better than knowing people from the timeline where everything did get fixed and trying to avoid explaining to them how you trashed their nice cheerful future.

Edited (courier'd) 2019-09-22 21:07 (UTC)

....oh, that's really unfortunate. I suppose there are a variety of ways this could go...

Unfortunate for me. For your part, I won't commit to saying you can definitely change anything, but I know that there are things that can be changed from some perspectives.

It's honestly a bit difficult to tell how much our presence here changes anything back home to begin with. I'd feel a bit more at ease if we knew anything about that to start with.

guy from the future
check
find out how my life goes off the rails
check
largely my fault and i can change it
check

as a literal fuckin time guy who went through this im going to say yes you can change it but as a literal fuckin time guy who went through this im going to say you might not want to
hear me out
shit gets real when you start fucking with the timelines enough where you might end up killing every one of your friends and need to prototype yourself into a fuckin bird to continue to survive
you dont want that
the guys miserable as fuck and just as insufferable which is more a self jab than anything else

if you got more details on what you think you gotta change or how big the change is gonna be i can help theoretically but i dont got no way to jump into timelines right now to check and sometimes that shit can be worse so i only got theoretical to help with

...I feel like I want to argue with a lot of this, but I feel like at a certain point I have to admit that this is how it'd probably all work out, given everything else about how my life has been going so far.

feeling like you want to argue with me is a normal human compulsion
a lot of people do
and a lot of people are wrong

sometimes even if shit is really really bad and you want to change it more than you want to breathe it just aint worth it
sorry if it didnt turn out to be what you wanted to hear bro or broette
its just how it is

Even if we could, it would still entirely depend on if your decision can be reversed or rethought. And if such change is wise. You only get one chance and you have the power to make a different kind of wrong decision.

I’m sure it could be reversed, but I do admit that I have concerns about making a different wrong decision. It’s not like I thought it was wrong the first time, and the only reason I’ve been forced to stop myself and rethink it is that I ended up here before I could face the consequences that I know will result from it.

Clearly you weren't completely devoted to what you did if just coming here and hearing what happened makes you want to change it when you could try to figure out how to improve your plans so that you don't need to face the consequences.

Perhaps not the methods, but definitely the ideals of it. The methods are, indeed, what I'd like to change.

What sort of thing were you up to? In a vague sense so that no one gets who you are.

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