The Woes of the World [active]

[withwingstofly]

Character(s): Setzer, Soma
Content: A pair of silver-haired men compare notes on life's foibles
Setting: Palazzo Townhouses
Time: Shortly after this thread
Warnings: None that I can think of

Comments

[notquitedracula]

Eternity without one's soul, an eternity of cursing God and everything that he'd ever considered worth living for? Eternity without even a shred of human kindness? No, he couldn't live like that.

Rocking back a bit in his chair to release some of the tension that had crept up on him, Soma considered the person sitting across from him. If that last comment was anything to judge by, he had quite the story to tell, too. And if ever he'd needed a cue...

"That's about as much of my story as can be told over one cup of coffee," he said, folding his hands on the tabletop. "There's more to it, but it's mostly just gory details. How about you?"

[withwingstofly]

There was a brief and considering sort of a silence after Soma's words. He had a story, true, but it was somewhat less than clear as where to begin. "I suppose the story ought to properly begin with magic, then. The stories say that long ago, there used to be more magic in the world. People being people, they began to fight over it, and in the end, the gods realized that the war was destabilizing the world. As penance, they sealed themselves and so magic disappeared from the world, for the most part. People forgot about it.

"Rather, they did until the Empire found a way to bring magic back into the world. I'm afraid I can't say how he learned about what he did or why he decided to even try. What I do know is that he took the life's-blood of magical beings and used it to create... monsters." He paused, shook his head, and started again. "Rather, I should a monster. He made a mage. The first in thousands of years.

"The power shattered his mind. He was -- is -- a madman."

[notquitedracula]

Three months ago, Soma would not have taken this conversation seriously. Magic was something in the movies or in books, a fairy tale. Not to be taken seriously, even if one's best friend happens to be a priestess who believes in and practices a type of magic.

Three months ago, he didn't believe real magic existed. A lot can happen in three months, though.

"You don't appear to be a raving lunatic, so I'm assuming you come into the picture a little later," Soma said half-jokingly, wondering at what could drive a person to such lengths to bring back something that the world could quite plainly live without. Only a supreme lust for power seemed to make sense, and that image alone served to paint a vague picture of this Empire. "Power corrupts, that's one of the world's great truths. But... it sounds like this guy might not have had a full deck to start with. Am I right?"

[withwingstofly]

"Not until quite a while later," Setzer answered, with a half-smile. "But that's another part of the story." And one that perhaps only luck could explain, but he was no real stranger to the whims of chance.

"I'm afraid I can't answer the question of what he was like before. I didn't learn about him until after he was already mad. I can say that the Emperor kept him as a general even after he lost his mind to the magic that made him. Not the wisest decision if you ask me, but I'd imagine he found the idea of his very own mage too tempting." That or he just simply didn't care and Setzer wasn't quite sure what was worse.

"Either way, where there's an Empire, there's a resistance. The Returners."

[notquitedracula]

Setzer wasn't one of the people on that side of the line, at least. Good; Soma really didn't feel like fighting right then, and someone that could stick with that outfit would all but demand a beatdown, just on principles.

Given all the conflicts between governing bodies and the populace in the history of his own world, Soma could quite readily see Setzer's point there. "I guess that makes sense, especially if this Empire was even half as rotten as you've suggested. Bit of an odd name, though."