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

[takenwithhim]

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.

Comments

Re: video

[lilys_poise]

Well... well maybe the labor office can help you anyway. Stealing you from your god is probably against the rules, right?

[If there are rules. But still... why have something like a shinki labor office if there are no rules to enforce? So Elise is remaining optimistic.]

Re: video

[takenwithhim]

It sounds like it should be, but stealing a shinki either hasn't been done before or has been done rarely.

Do you know anything about the labor office?

[He's heard a few people mention it, but no one's defined it for him yet.]

[lilys_poise]

Not a whole lot. I heard about it from a guy named Yukine. But they're supposed to be able to help shinki who are being treated badly by gods.

[She's wondering if she should've payed them a visit, just to learn more.]

[takenwithhim]

That's an odd name for that kind of aim.

[A labor office dealing with shinki rights or something like that.]

Yukine, hm. I'll look into it as well.

[lilys_poise]

[Is it? Elise honestly had never heard of a labor office at all before she came here. She's starting to get the impression that maybe she should be studying harder.

Or at all.]

I'm sorry I can't be any more help. I haven't been a shinki for very long...

[takenwithhim]

Oy, don't apologize. It's not your fault; they don't tell shinki anything when they first get here.

[Instead, shinki rely on their gods for the information, and each other if they can. And Sousuke could also benefit from having a look around himself; he's been a little reclusive his first few weeks here after all.]

You've already got a few people looking into the labor office, so I'm glad you mentioned it.

[lilys_poise]

That's good...

[She's glad she was able to help a little. But he's right, they don't really tell shinki very much when they arrive. Is there something they could do about that?]

Um, so maybe all of us shinki should get together and make a club. To help each other out.

[takenwithhim]

I haven't heard that idea before.

[It is annoying the shinki are dumped in here without being told much of anything. He'd come across people to let him know, which, admittedly, was extremely helpful. Otherwise his god and he would've had a very different initial meeting.]

What do you know about shinki? [Asking out of curiosity here.]

[lilys_poise]

Well... there's safety in numbers right? Or something like that.

[She only just thought of it. Something like that might be tough to organize. But just having a support network might help a lot of shinki.]

I know a little bit. Probably about as much as everybody else. Um...

[She starts ticking things off on her fingers.]

Shinki turn into weapons so gods can beat up ayakashi. People on the near shore can't see us very well. We have neat powers and can learn stuff like borderlines. We used to be regular people but we...

[There's no non awkward way to say it, but she still hesitates.]

...died. And we don't have any memories.

[takenwithhim]

Something like that.

[And sometimes not, since more people meant more distractions and being able to miss something, but that was being a pessimist and they didn't need that right now.]

Hm. That's about what I know as well. The vague summary of it.

[Weapons to fight ayakashi. Still getting used to the near shore stuff, so it's nice to hear some confirmation in that too. Powers he's well aware of and the borderline skill he's working on. And... yeah, the dead and amnesia part. He doesn't think about that much and even now pushes the thoughts away.]

I think we're supposed to only have one god at a time. That's the system they've created.

[lilys_poise]

I'm actually not sure we were supposed to be in their system at all.

[There's a definite divide between new gods and old gods, which carries over to new shinki and old shinki. Elise hasn't pinned down why the divide is so distinct, but she can feel it's effects either way.]

But I do think it's better to have just one god. Two would be too many.

[takenwithhim]

Tools. We serve the gods and help them with prayer requests and battles.

[Regardless of what a god considers a shinki, a friend, a pet, a partner, a servant, the simple fact is, shinki are tools.]

Aa. Answering to two people is impossible. It'd end up with gods fighting over shinki.

[lilys_poise]

[That label bothers her. Partially because she's smart enough to know there's some truth to it.

Which is why her knee-jerk reaction is to vehemently deny it.]

Th-that's not true! We're not tools! We're....

[She struggles for a word that doesn't sound depressing or awful.]

We're more like partners! Only an awful god would call us tools.

[takenwithhim]

[He sees that reaction coming a mile off. Sousuke really doesn't want to submit to that label, but it's staring him--and every other shinki--in the face no matter what they say.]

Most gods say they don't view shinki that way. I want to believe them.

["Want" being the operative term there, but it's clear that at the moment, Sousuke doesn't believe them. His experience has colored that darkly.]

Unless something changes, we are whatever the gods want us to be.

[lilys_poise]

[He's right. She knows he is.]

That's definitely not.... not true at all!

[But Elise is stubborn. And she's not ready to face this particular uncomfortable truth yet.]people.

[takenwithhim]

[He doesn't want to be right about this, but logically...]

Oy, are you protesting because you believe that or are you just being stubborn?

[There's a bit of a difference if she's just in denial of something she really, albeit unfortunately, believes in.]

[lilys_poise]

I am not stubborn!

[She says while pouting stubbornly. Bastion of maturity over here.]

No matter what anybody thinks of us, we're still people.

[takenwithhim]

[Oh that's convincing. It's nice to see that stubbornness though; they're going to need it if the shinki are going to have a chance at improving their status with the gods. So he thinks at least.]

You sound stubborn right now.

[That's not a nettle, nope.]

Aa. Dead people, but people.

[lilys_poise]

You're the one who's stubborn!

[So there.]

And it doesn't matter if we're dead. That doesn't make us any less... us.

[takenwithhim]

[Wow. How can he argue that? It's true.]

Aa. You're right.

[Even if they don't remember anything.]

It's good to be stubborn sometimes.

[lilys_poise]

That's a good point.

[Mollified since he's agreeing with her, Elise smiles.]

I guess we'll just have to be stubborn together.

[takenwithhim]

[Hard not to agree with her, even if logic says what they're agreeing on is false.

They are people, right, but despite what they say, they're shinki and tools of the gods all the same.]

The gods have a lot of deciding to do about this.

[lilys_poise]

Well, yeah. But... so do we. Right?

[The shinkis' opinions of themselves are just as important as the gods' opinions.]

Maybe we should make that club.

[takenwithhim]

I don't know, really. What they decide goes.

[That's pessimistic, he knows, but it's also reality as far as Sousuke understands it right now, agree with it or not.]

Unless we want to revolt or something.

[Afterthought. The mention of the club again earns a nod even if she can't see it.]

Aa. It's a good idea.

[lilys_poise]

I'm sure something like a revolt won't be necessary. Most of the gods are really nice. But shinki should help each other.

[And something like a club would encourage that.]