(Heaven's BBS)

[cieled]

From: Ciel Phantomhive (Asteria)
Date: September 13th

How can one be animate without a soul? (He asks this far from his shinki - just in case they take offense.) I do not understand how they move; how they speak; how they serve? The essence of life is one's spirit, surely?

(Though he cannot speak for demons, of course.)

I am venturing onto esoteric grounds, I know, but what better place to make such inquiries? Besides, I do not know if I am entirely comfortable sharing my home with one who is soulless.

Comments

[demonsheath]

I believe 'soulless' is a bit a misnomer, so much as they're incomplete. As such, they lack enough drive that would mark them as an individual.

Would you like a shinki that has a soul as well, young Phantomhive?

[ Hannah, your position on having a soul is debatable. Including whether or not you have your own, and not just Luca and Jim's inside you. ]

[fauxcalibur]

I share your disquiet.

Even if one's immortal soul has passed on and some echo of it is summoned for some purpose, there is more animation, more personality, more life than these soulless shinki hold.

I would rather use a mundane weapon than have to call upon the creature that has been assigned to me.

text; from: Inanna

[shadowrevenger]

i've always thought it was a weird way to put it myself ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌

but there are some beliefs that say the soul has more than one part, so maybe that has something to do with it? they're just missing part of it? (ー_ーゞ

[trademark_skull]

I'm pretty sure soul and emotion are two completely different things.

It could be that they have something like an artificial or temporary soul. Not that I don't think that's any better.

[And not something that can't be ruled out. After all humans have apparently figured out something similar more recently in his verse.]

text;

[diehardreaper]

They aren't so bad once you're used to them, mind. I've a soulless of me own and he's a fine lad. Bit on the shy side but I'd wager he'd make a fast friend of you if you lot ever met.

text

[brynwieldr]

It is entirely possibly they're simply some sort of divine automaton. If the old gods can bring people from who knows where and gift them with divine powers of our own, I don't think it's that far-fetched that they can provide shinki-less or especially gifted gods with a created servant.

text

[drops_acid]

I suppose you're talking about the soulless shinki. But it may be that they were simply created using some other animating force.

[Cardia herself is powered by the fancy rock in her chest, so honestly she's not a hundred percent sure she has a soul either.]

a couple days later

[death_glare]

Considering what you have doomed your own soul to, I am surprised this is such an issue for you.

text; from: Archer

[boneofsword]

Where I come from homunculi don't have a soul. Having one develop something akin to conscience is rare, and depends on method of their creations. Unfortunately that's the extent of my knowledge.