voice; un: homeros

[leitstern]

Hmph! Titles here are worthless. Futile, trivial words scrawled on parchment. Merely thinking of them insults me.

[Granted, he needs little provocation to feel insulted.]

Why do you regard their distinction as an accolade worthy of merit?

It has been most instructive as to the nature of your kind that you salivate like mongrels and chase subordination and not independence.

[There is an embittered sigh.]

Do you not entertain any notion of loyalty to your native land? Your eager willingness to chase glory is abominable. Hm. It is useless. You should close your mouths and remember where you come from.

Comments

un: ems

[unhappy]

I don't know, it makes more sense than people who inherited their title and money getting pat on the ass for being born. Nobles in the traditional sense deserve a lot worse than to have their titles stomped all over by people getting rewarded for helping out others if you ask me.

[ Not that she has a title here either, but it doesn't make her any less salty toward so-called nobility. ]

[leitstern]

[The first point is digested and denoted for later. The second? He focuses upon it and draws towards its natural conclusion.]

You would put them to the sword?

[unhappy]

I'm not some eat-the-rich crusader, I just don't think they deserve 'accolades' any more than someone who's looking out for other people. Even the ones claiming to be heroes ignore the people right in front of them if it doesn't give them good PR or glory, so why should they get anything that other people don't? I'm not going to go around killing off anyone with a title, but I definitely wouldn't feel bad if they ate crow or if I had a hand in making it happen.

[leitstern]

I agree entirely. In truth, I have witnessed my fair share of eminent souls who shine brightly only because they steal their light from others. I suppose that means only our methods would differ.

[This one does seem more unwilling to take direct action.]

Though it all begs the question: what if a noble lady has no money of which to speak? One can suffer the greatest calamity no matter their birth.

[unhappy]

As long as she isn't an ass because of her title, she's fine. I'm not mad at people for having money, the problem is them acting like they're better than others because of it. I've got a... [ well, they're not friends. ] I know someone like that. We all make mistakes, the difference is whether we... own up to them and do better, or not. So if a noble lady has no money and just a title, it still doesn't make a difference. It's who she decides to be that does.

[leitstern]

Oh, but people are not who they choose to be. No individual can claim they determine who they are. There is always some hinderence, some interfering rule.

[What is he trying to say?]

Your associate is a product of circumstance. Like everyone else.

[unhappy]

[ Emerald thinks about it for a moment. Yes, she went down the only path she had. Her desperation to be loved gave Cinder the path needed to bring her in, to manipulate her, to shape her into the tool that Cinder needed her to be while Emerald still wanted to believe that some part of her really was the family that Emerald always wanted, no matter what Mercury said. No matter what she could see with her own eyes. But even knowing that, even being trained and punished when she was disobedient, Emerald came to the conclusion that what they were doing wasn't what Emerald wanted to be doing. Maybe she's till got a bad attitude and thinks people shouldn't be pointlessly optimistic or ignore the fact that the world is absolute shit, but despite having every reason to think the world should burn around her, she risked her life to get out of that. Someone died for her because she wanted to change the product.

But this guy is a stranger, and knows nothing about her. So she hums. ]

You're one of your guys who got way too far up your own ass with philosophy and decided to condescend to the whole world about it, huh?

[leitstern]

I am impartial to philosophy considering it is hardly grounded in fact. I find it imprecise and inconsistant. Next time, try not making the mistake of assuming I am not speaking from personal belief.

[unhappy]

Your personal beliefs about how the world and the people in it fundamentally work and how it should be, also called your personal... philosophy.

[ She thinks for a second then takes a guess. ]

Is this one of those other world things where time periods or culture differences mean words mean different things?

[leitstern]

It would appear so.

Not that I enjoy it much. It makes conversation needlessly complicated, would you not agree?

[unhappy]

You're telling me. [ that is, yes, she agrees. ]

I'm Emerald, by the way.

[leitstern]

Jasper.

The pleasure is all mine, I assure you.

[unhappy]

Uh huh.

[ A beat. ]

For the record, a person can change paths even if they have every reason not to. It's just hard enough that someone usually dies for it to happen. Usually the person trying to make the change, but once in a while, someone gets out.

[leitstern]

[Jasper indulges in a moment of silence. There is much to digest before he can offer his response; made with a thoughtful voice.]

That explanation makes it seem the person becomes a whole new being. Hmph. I suppose one's spiritual death is always necessary. To change one's ego if nothing else.

[unhappy]

...I meant more literal than that, but sure. I guess that too.

[ Emerald wants to believe that the changes she's making have meaning. That a street rat and a thief doesn't just become a worse criminal and never look back, but that she can become something better. So if he's right, that a nobleperson can't ever change because of the path they were on, then neither can she. So. ]

Without.. getting into too much detail, [ Because there's a lot, but this is the relatively impersonal version compared to the years of shit she's waded through. She can open up a little to make her point though. ]

There's still a real good chance that I'm going to die because it took pissing off an immortal, self-proclaimed goddess and her pet psycho killer to get off the path I was on. They still have my partner and the woman I thought was my family, and they're all working together to end the world... Hazel-- the man who helped me get out, was killed because he helped Oscar and I get out. So, spiritual death, actual murder. Both. You're right, that most people don't ever change because it can cost you everything. But I at least have to believe that it's not impossible or there's no point in any of this.

[leitstern]

[Well, that's a lot to digest. He listens for all of it, more out of curiosity than anything else. There are some parallels to his own relationship with an old friend - one who pissed him off, so to speak. It had taken coming to this place to drop his thoughts of murdering the man.]

I cannot claim I believe there is a point to anything. Or rather that such skepticism has not coloured my opinion for many a year. Honestly, I am afraid I have no words of comfort to offer you. Not that I ever believed such platitudes were honest or worthwhile. I am sorry if that is a disappointment.