thefarshore | BBS/Video

From: Li Tieguai
Posted: Oct 7, 2:49 PM

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[Hakkai's sitting at what looks like his kitchen table, hands folded and phone carefully propped up facing him and the wooden wall behind him. For once, he's not smiling. His expression is very neutral. He sounds slightly rehearsed.]

Good afternoon. Due to certain events, I've come to believe that there is something I need to share with you all, in the interests of honesty and transparency. I'm going to talk about some things that may be frightening or upsetting, so if you are under the age of fifteen, please ask a grown-up who you trust to watch this video first and explain it to you.

[He pauses, his eyes dropping from the camera to the screen for several seconds of silence before he looks back up.]

Still watching? Goten, Nanako, I especially mean you.

[He pauses again, for a few more seconds, and his fingers twitch slightly together.]

I have a serious criminal history. Some years ago, my lover was kidnapped by a clan of youkai known for their brutality towards captives. I pursued and attacked them in an attempt to rescue her, and, in the process, was responsible for the deaths of a majority of the clan, not limited to combatants. She did not survive.

The blood I shed was sufficient to transform me from human into youkai. [He reaches up, freeing each of three small silver cuffs from the curve of his ear in turn. His face shifts, ears lengthening and developing sharp points, green vine patterns spreading across his skin, teeth sharpening, and left eye shifting from green to a slit-pupiled yellow. His nails are long, sharp claws. He sets the jewelry down gently on the table between himself and the phone.]

After recovering from my own injuries, I turned myself in to the appropriate authorities, and received sentencing. I regret my actions, and I do not pose any public danger. However, I understand that my past crimes may cause others to be uncomfortable in my presence, and should you wish to withdraw yourself or any child for whom you are responsible from my classes, I can recommend either Lavi or Kusanagi Izumo as a substitute instructor. I will transfer any records to the instructor of your choice.

If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them.

[He reaches for the cuffs again and fixes them back in place on his ear, appearance swiftly returning to a simulacrum of humanity, before he reaches out to shut down the video.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It definitely does. Mass murder, after all, is the sort of thing that's not generally touted as a job qualification.

On the other hand, for gods....]

Having read some mythology, I have to admit I can see your point.

There's been surprisingly little trouble, considering.

It comes with a sense of responsibility, or in some cases, a lack of specific triggers. Apparently the amount of common sense around agrees on not causing unnecessary bloodshed.

[Gods qualification include the worst offences one can think of, it seems. Common sense, on the other hand, is rather scarce.]

I'm really beginning to wonder if it's more about the provocation.

I suppose we did have that series of murders a few months ago. I believe the perpetrator was a shinki, though, wasn't he?

There is such possibility.

I haven't been here when it happened, only heard about it, so I can't say for sure.

[It's not very comforting to think that they're just one really upsetting incident away from blood in the streets.

On the other hand, it's not news, either.]

I wasn't personally involved, but that's what I heard.

And then there's that redheaded individual, of course. With the chainsaw.

[That one Archer has heard about. Then there's Berserker to consider, who has no idea what differs training from a real fight.]

There are at least several individuals here that may pose a threat, and about twice as many that won't hesitate to take matters in their own hands if something happens. So far the scales have not tipped, but the possibility is always there.

I find myself hoping things remain peaceful, regardless. It would be foolish and counterproductive to set us against one another, or against the Heavens.

[At least, it would be foolish and counterproductive to do it without a target and a plan.]

Isn't it what's happening though? The situation we're in has at least three sides.

We each have our own interests, but that's no reason to throw away potential allies.

Amaterasu has certainly spoken of her desire to treat the new gods and shinki as equal to the old.

Question is are we potential allies or simply an unknown factor.

Indeed, yet her words aren't followed by much action. I won't hold my breath in hopes of gaining anything.

Large bureaucracies often do have trouble with new ideas, especially when their leader is still a child.

[Amaterasu, as a strong, experienced leader, might be able to make the Heavens turn on a dime. Amaterasu, twelve years old and still barely taking over control of her responsibilities, can only do so much, Hakkai suspects.]

Whether we're allies or unknowns, I suspect, will depend on what we do.

Especially when they use such chance to steer in the direction of their choice.

[Keeping their so-called leader from learning things she shouldn't know and molding her into shape of their choice is most obvious.]

There is always a neutral option.

Is there a neutral option?

[Is there really? Hakkai's not convinced. The other gods might not yet be willing to accept them with open arms, the way Amaterasu seems to hope they will, but that doesn't mean they can keep their distances forever. And even if they do... Archer's right. There are at least three sides here: new gods, Amaterasu loyalists, and whoever is trying to undermine her power. Will keeping their distance keep them out of the fight, or make them pawns for one or both sides? And will it get them any closer to getting home?]

I feel we may have to be more decisive than that.

Neutrality here means simply refraining from taking action.

[It's not like they have many options. While Archer is less focused on getting back home, he's well aware not much can be done without solid information. He's not sure how much Hakkai remembers - this post hints that he clearly does, at least some part of it.]

Decisions have to rely on information, and those aren't readily available. It limits possible choices.

If that's what you mean, then I agree that it's important not to take action without understanding the situation.

You may not want to be too open about those feelings in a forum like this. I don't know who reads it.

The eternal question 'who watches the watchers', I see.

I agree that such conversation is better kept in private, or even better face to face. Technology itself is as reliable as any traditional means.

[Coversation can be eavesdropped on, letters and notes can be read by the third party and so on. Archer sees no problem with sharing some of his opinions in public, but that doesn't mean he's not aware of the risk.]

As you say, there are at least three sides, and we can't be entirely sure who is on which one.

I'm not even sure how much to trust this forum, to be honest.

[It's nice to have something that prevents strangers from reading their posts, but who controls their accounts? Who can see the information itself? Heaven's representatives, he's sure of that much. And Heaven's representatives aren't people Hakkai is inclined to trust.]

Such forums can be broken into, so it's not as safe as it seems to be.

[Archer has a vague idea how it works, and is even less willing to trust Heavens. That's just a healthy dose of paranoia.]

Ah. I'm not very good with computers, but I'm not surprised to hear that.

And even if it couldn't be, we don't know who it is who runs this forum, do we?

Those who run it and those that have access to all of it may be two different groups. Two or even more.

[Perhaps he should talk to Hakkai when he's at school, exchange information and so on.]

But speculating about it without any real information will just make us paranoid, I'm afraid.

It's best just to assume that even "privacy" here isn't very private.

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