[IC] Swords Beneath the Starlight

Barnabas and Airitech



"I'll do that, thank you." He gave Airitech a smile, but then scrunched it up a bit, as if suddenly revealing it rather than being polite, and chuckled. "Gods, by the way, you are aware of your um... Musks, right?"

Barnabas and Lain


"Hhhhuurrmm..." He gave an unhappy sound as he considered it, trying to be fair about this question. "A little. Maybe. But it's considered an important lesson. I got this from an elder-" He said, gesturing to the scars over the left side of his face, the eye squinting out from behind them slightly. "-because I was a bit too loudly proud about my clans duties to the point of insulting the responsibilities of the tribe's values we were discussing with, and their enforcer challenged me to a friendly duel. My parents told me to be glad I hadn't lost an eye for it. It's not the same as your issue, but, there are those that have respect and power with it and those that don't. I get it, but I'm never going to share drinks with that man. Despite that he was fulfilling his duties of defending his tribe's honour. There are important benefits to the existence of leaders, figureheads, people know where to lay the blame, more rapid decisions. And also everyone can look to you and blame just you for the ills of their lives, even if things would be worse if everyone had had a say in things. You are a noble, yes, which means you are a leader." This was said, partly to show this was his understanding of the matter, a noble was like an elder, above others.

He shrugged slightly. "We burn our leaders either way when they're gone, for the sins of their duties." Barnabas put out a hand idly, a slight snarled smile at the explanation of his culture. "On one side, it is to honour their accomplishments, to recognise that this is one that took on the task of shaping our history." He raised his other hand. "On the other, it is to help them return to nature swiftly, to pass on so they don't suffer the weight of their memories and the cost of their actions anymore." The smile grew a bit more as he lowered his hands again. "And it's also because sometimes, they had it coming. To be a leader is a cruel task Lain, I don't envy you for those that follow you, and I'll be do what I can to ease that if you need it."