In Which Zetta Ponders His Options [Open]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

The sensorium took on the image of the Netherworld, specifically the Overlord's Castle. Titanic stone walls covered on every sign of opulence -- paintings, tapestries, other wall hangings, framing large statues of armor than seemed requisite for such a setting. Down the immense, red-carpeted hall and through the doors to the throne room, one might see the Overlord, sitting on a throne meant for his body, not his book-self, and frowning.

For the first time since he'd woken up on this ship, with no Netherworld, no body, nothing but his raw mana power and his determination to get everything back, he was beginning to doubt that it was possible.

"They don't care," he said to himself. "They lost their worlds, but life on this freakin' ship is so great they don't care about getting them back. They don't care about their friends in the pods. They don't care about the worlds the Ohm are destroying.

"...And I call myself evil?"

Not that he cared about losing the election. It was who he lost to, and the message that it sent, that left him sitting there in anger and frustration and quiet horror.

"How the hell am I supposed to do this by myself?"

Comments

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae looked away, she had broken in front of one of the people she didn't want to. She sniffed and sat against the throne, knees risen and her head tucked on them. You heard her muffled voice. "... I don' know Zetta... Your heart I've been told by some... your soul by others... Others just say it's muscle."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Well, if it was just muscle, wouldn't you always swing in the same way, with the same strength?" Zetta asked. "You wouldn't try to hit harder when you were angrier, or ignore pain when you were wounded."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She had managed to calm down. She rested her head atop her knees now. "Well yeah... when I get angrier I hit harder, and can ignore pain better." She sighed.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"If it was just muscle, that wouldn't happen," Zetta said. "Well, you asked me what mana power is, once. Now you're getting a little closer to understanding it."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She thought for a long moment. She looked over her shoulder curiously at him. "You're not bad at all Zetta.... Thanks..." She knelt in front of the throne to get a better look at the book, leaning forward she gave the corner a light kiss before pulling back.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"What the?!" The book attempted to recoil from this 'love' crap and promptly fell over.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae laughed, and helped rearrange the book back in it's throne. "Sheesh don't tell me the Overlord is afraid of a friendly kiss." She smiled.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Demons don't DO that sort of thing"! he protested.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She laughed. "Really? I mean you did mention there where succubi in your world. If they're anything like ours, well man...." She paused at her own teasing, her face going red. "Errr.... well you know what I mean!"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Yeaaaaah, those aren't friendly kisses succubi do, Ronnae."

If he has to give the birds-and-bees talk, he is DRAWING THE LINE THERE.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She blushed heavily. "I know they aren't! I just meant they gave kisses too!" Her face was now entirely red with embarrassment. She looked away, brows furrowed at her own mistake making herself the teased target.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

The Overlord's eyebrows went up with a grin. "Yep. And not just on the cheek, too! They would..."

He trailed off, grin fading, then sighed. "Man, you're not any fun to tease. You're too innocent and get too upset. Let me know when you get laid so I can catch up on all this teasing."

He had to ruin it sooner or later. It was inevitable.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"Zetta!" She cried out embarrassed. "I! ... You!.... Ugh!" She turned again and crossed her arms. "Sheesh...."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"What?!" The Overlord was sincerely perplexed. "I said I WASN'T going to! Now what?!"

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"Nothing." She laughed a little. "Tho it's good to see you're back to your normal self. Mostly. Well your normal book self." She turns back to look at him, a warm smile on her face.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hey! When was I ever not?!" The Overlord apparently had a very short-term memory.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae rolled her eyes and laughed. "Never Zetta. After all you're the most badass overlord in the whole netherworld right?" She smiled.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"The most badass freaking Overlord in the entire cosmos!" he returned with a smug grin. "Get it right!"

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She laughed, "Right forgot the freakin and the cosmos. I'll get it right still, I promise Zetta." She smiled at him. "You gonna be staying here or you headin' out?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hmph. Where the hell do I have to go?" Zetta grumbled. "Here or my fortress. I'll be surprised if they don't order it razed and ban training in the sensorium because it's too damn hostile."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "C'mon Zetta, now you're exaggerating. I'm sure people won't stand for something like that. You can't please everyone, there's always going to be a crowd that's against stuff like that. And I'm sure considering the situation we're in, they wouldn't risk mutiny or a riot."

She gave him a reassuring smile.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"My money would've been on people not wanting to make peace with the Ohm, either," he returned. "Besides, how easy would it be? 'We will only allow Council-sanctioned training. Other training puts the lives of crew members at risk, and isn't psychologically healthy.' And everyone just eats that up, because it sounds like you're trying to do good by the crew."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae raised an eyebrow. "Judging from some of the people I've met on the crew, I don't think that would sit well with many. Tho I can see your point. It certainly sounds like the right thing to say." She shrugged. "But that's how politics I guess, you make anything sound good right? That means you're good at the job, regardless of your intentions. The most deadly warlords worked like that, cunning and telling the people what they wanted to hear."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Psychological testing pissed a lot of people off, and they rammed that through anyway," Zetta pointed out.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"Maybe we need to make more people be heard. If it's how you sway it is, having this council doesn't seem like such a good idea if they're going to ignore the concerns of the crew..." Ronnie frowned, she'd read about something similar about the Stormwind hierarchy.