thefarshore | Heaven's BBS | Text & Video ~ A Stolen Voice

Posted: May 21st
From: Sousuke Yamazaki

What are shinki?

I’ve not been here long, so I don’t know the truth. Apparently no shinki can. But I’ve experienced enough.

I don’t like it.

We’re shinki. We weren’t told anything upon our arrival. All we knew is that we’re dead and know nothing else. Other shinki probably had the same experience I did: stumble around until someone told me I had to find a god or something before something bad happened to me. We have to rely on whatever our gods tell us as the truth. We’re told we’re supposed to help our gods with their duties and wants and protect them or fight for them. We can’t exist without you; gods give us form and prevent us from fading away. We have to depend on you to survive.

So what are we to you?

I have a god. A Master. He tells me that I’m human more than I’m his shinki. I don’t know if I believe him entirely.

Not all Masters are like that, are they. Some don’t care what a shinki feels. I guess that’s not far from the truth though. After all, shinki are really nothing more than tools to gods. Gods can pick us up simply because they want something from us. Maybe you feel good having us at your side because you think we remind you of something. Maybe you want us because we’re useful to you or you like our looks or fit your fighting style or powers.

But if it doesn’t work out, if we piss our gods off or don’t please them, they’re allowed to discard us like a broken item. Gods can even cycle through us one after another until they’ve found the perfect tool to fit their current needs. And when you’re done, you can throw us away until you’re ready to use us again. Or left to wander for someone else to maybe pick up before we fade away into nothing.

And we have no choice but to come when you call us whether we want to or not. Because we’re nothing without you. We’re valuable possessions to keep close or useful but expendable objects to get the job done.

I don’t know if all gods are aware of this; I know the shinki aren’t. Gods can even steal shinki from another god without asking. Force a new name upon us and give us a new form and power. And if we’re stubborn, apparently blackmail and threats are just as effective. Or you can simply hurt us until we break or get rid of us because we’re not working as you want. Like we’re some kind of toy for your amusement.

We’re told we’re entering a partnership with our gods, but in reality, it only goes one way. We have to choose between vanishing or living as a weapon, companion, prize, tool, whatever, for a god we don’t even know.

If you’re a shinki, think about this. If you’re a god, ask yourself why you have a shinki.

[A video feed flicks on. A full moon glows yellow in the sky above, encircled by spiraling clouds. The edge of a sakura tree billows pink and gentle at one side of the screen, releasing ghost-light sakura petals into the winds that carry them away. It’s silent, some for himself to gather his thoughts, some for letting whoever’s listening to him think. Maybe it is rambling, but the experience he went through…]

So what are our rights? Does anyone want to tell me how this is supposed to work?

All of this may not be something some of you gods care about.

But the shinki should know.

[His is a quiet voice, deep like the dark waters far below the surface of the sea.]

I’m aware I’m probably a rare case; most of the gods I’ve met seem decent. Some of you say you’d never act like I’ve described or think like this towards a shinki. That we can trust you. But we don’t know you. So how can we trust you? Ultimately we have to trust our gods because we don’t know anything else. Whether you use that to your advantage or not is up to you.

It’s a disgusting feeling to know you’re powerless against someone else. I can be stolen and wielded by any god who wants me, regardless of how I feel about it. And if I don’t want that, I have to eternally stick by my Master’s side like a frightened child. We’re not free; we can’t even rely on ourselves because our powers, beyond the borderline, is useless unless directed by a god. I didn’t want this, I don’t know if any shinki does.

[A quiet breath seeps backwards above the screen and the edge of a shirt sleeve flutters into view on one side of the screen. Sousuke’s leaning against the wall beside the window, not in sight, but obviously here if someone feels like talking.]

And if any of you gods haven’t yet learned how to track or trace your shinki, you should start working on that now. Otherwise you're going to find yourself out a useful tool for a while simply because some other god wants to do something different for a change.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No, I didn't notice that. I've only ever seen them block ayakashi. But I'm still learning how to use borderlines so I'll keep that in mind.

Do you know if shinki can cast borderlines without using a part of their body to draw the line?

[The underlying comment there being if all gods know how a shinki can operate and make a borderline, they can probably prevent the shinki from creating one by doing what this thief god did: inhibiting movement.

Sousuke's not rejecting the advice; he actually appreciates it. But he's also trying to point out the obstacles to work ways around them.]

As far as I know, we can't. You'll have to be careful not to get into a disadvantageous position.

More advanced spells don't always require gestures, though.

Should all else fail, the bond between a shinki and a god is a mutual one, and blight is significantly more painful to the god than to the shinki. The sort of god who would name you for convenience against your will is likely also the sort of god who would release you if they found themselves severely blighted in response.

[Shinki do have options... even if one of those options is effectively a threat to drag a god down to destruction with them.]

[And therein lies the problem. Especially since gods can utilize their powers freely while shinki are restricted to borderlines alone (so he thinks but might be wrong in some cases).]

There are other spells for shinki beyond borderlines?

[That's curious. And his interest is piqued. Even if he doesn't remember he's a professional athlete, Sousuke hasn't lost the competitive nature or his desire to improve to be the best.]

Aa. A lot of people have talked about blighting the god who stole me. I'll keep that in mind if something like this ever happens again.

[Provided he doesn't get blackmailed by the safety of his true god and someone else that is.]

There are. If you want to work on learning them, please talk to Kazuma, Bishamon's lead shinki. He's an expert; I'm only a beginner so far.

Blight, from a certain perspective, is the purpose of shinki. Do keep it in mind as a weapon.

Kazuma. I'll send him a message. I want to get stronger so this never happens again.

I suppose you could look at it that way, but that only makes a shinki's purpose seem even worse than a tool.

Isn't that what the older gods mean when they say that shinki exist to teach them right from wrong? Our corruption hurts them if they use us to do evil.

We are, after all, tools.

I wouldn't know. Serving someone who doesn't know right from wrong seems pretty stupid. Because what if you have a shinki that likes being evil?

Don't remind me.

It's not pretty, but it is true.

A shinki who feels no guilt would be a very convenient shinki to have, I'm sure.

That sounds a little shady right now... but true.

It seems a lot of the current gods used to be humans. Humans know right and wrong. Or should.

They certainly should. As it is, like humans, each of them has their own individual viewpoint.

As you've learned yourself, I suppose.

Aa. I learned that the hard way.

Unless there's a punishment in place, it's going to be hard to make someone who doesn't care, care.

Well, that's what stinging them is for.

That can be more difficult than it sounds... but agreed.

Heaven's BBS | Text & Video ~ A Stolen Voice

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