Private Meaning of Godhood

Everywhere Tribdan went, they felt at home. This entire island was home. Some places were more home than others, such as the beach. Their heavy feet sunk into the sand. It burned, but not in any way a human would describe the sensation. It was pleasant. Warm. In the back of their mind, they almost wished to take a bath in a pit of a volcano. Like old times.

Their face twisted. Old times? Tribdan had never bathed in a volcano. Why would they even—

A foreign voice took them out of their thoughts. "Something on my mind? No, no. Well, yes, but nothing important. I have a habit of wearing my feelings on my sleeve." Their laugh was reverberating. "Did I disturb your walk across the beach?"

Nothing about Tribdan gave the impression they would ever want to visit the beach. Clothed in heavy robes, a crown, and jewelry, they looked like they were heading to some kind of festival.

Tribdan looked over Soosei, not hiding how they judged her qualities. After a second of silence where they stood so still there was barely the sign of life, they smiled kindly and replied, "I'm Tribdan.

"I'll be truthful, I'm still getting used to speaking my mind to strangers, despite doing it for as long as I live." They snorted. "Which isn't very long, I'll tell you. But the island has repeatedly shown me kindness, so there's very little reason for my to hesitate. I was only think about my memories. Once in a while I think about stuff I have no reason to think about. Strange, but manageable."

Their voice carried a casualness unique to someone who had the power and privilege to do so without fear of how they would be perceived. It was easy-going while being firm.

"That's a difficult question to answer. I barely have any idea. A doctor at the school detected two souls within me. People unrelated to the doctor verified that. Part of me..."

Their breath hitched. Would it be too much to tell their thoughts to a stranger? Likely not, as Soosei was the one who asked in the first place. "I suspect I'm getting memories from my second soul. Only issue is... that doesn't answer why or how it's happening, and what I should do about it. Fortunately, I've been able to carry on with life as usual. It's not something that disrupts my life, so I haven't looked too deeply into it."

"It isn't easy to explain. Memories that are familiar and yet aren't. They happen suddenly when I don't expect it, and it's hard to focus on them. I used to try to decipher them, then I realized... that might make me less of myself." They frowned and shook their head, pushing that idea out of their mind.

"Your other self. What do you mean by that?"

Tribdan's brows furrowed as Soosei spoke and explained herself. A minor deity. Interesting. She would be of some use, then.

"I lived amongst humans in secret." That felt like a lie. Why? Why couldn't they place why that felt like a lie? "Nevertheless, I still love them dearly. The ones I protected and assisted, anyhow. Similarly, I love the islanders here and will do all I can to keep them healthy and happy.

"As for the two-souls thing: that's for me to decide. I'm Tribdan. My philosophy is that if I lose a soul, I stop being me. If both souls seamlessly mix, I'm still not me. It's completely different from slowly growing into a different person through experience."