Mundanity

"No, I say that like it's shocking, almost insulting. You'd think with Asmodeans invading our reality, aliens invading our planet, we'd come up with something more original, and perhaps, more curse-worthy."   "You've got it wrong, it's precisely the worse curse we know, because Asmodeans find Mundanes no threat, and they can barely mount any defense! Being a helpless bystander in a fight for your existence and soul is a pretty sorry state!"   "Hmm, ok, I hadn't seen that angle."   "Of course not, my Namei, you're always seeing the bright side, so you wouldn't see why they're worthy of pity."   "Pity?"   "Being helpless isn't glamourous, but why blame people for what they can't help?"   "Hmm, and?"   "Well, and, if you're an initiate, like we both are, it's our job to protect them." She buffed the emerald on his collar of the Merit of Honour with her sleeve. "Like we both did." She hadn't her own on, but she was at home, and he lived here too, so she didn't have to. He had his on because he was expected to have a video conference with his aunt.   "Ok, you got me there. So being a sorcerous being isn't worthy of pity then?"   "You can defend yourself, you can make a difference, that's pretty good."   "Do you pity Dentrag then?"   "Hmm, no."   "Why not? Him and Syrtis are both Mundanes..."   "I'd pity Syrtis before I pitied Dentrag..."   "Oh, should I be utterly jealous of Piersa then?"   "No, hear me out before you jump to conclusions... Dentrag is a Sun'ga, a position of some prestige."   "Except as owner of Platinum Redoubt, you're a better Sun'ga than he is, a bigger, more powerful one..."   "I made that myself, Dentrag grew into someone else's Restaurant, and made it his own. I respect that."   "And you don't respect Syrtis?"   "Syrtis will inherit his position, and we both know he can barely keep up with Avalline as it is. Syrtis is a friend, practically my brother, but, and I say this with some embarassment, part of it is, I don't feel he's competing against me."   "Hmm, and I got the opposite problem, both Piersa and Avalline are competing against me."   "How much of that is that we're different people? You compete against ME! And I'm your devoted bed toy."   "Ok, maybe some of it is that..."