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[Sebastian leans back slightly in the chair as Jon speaks. The thrumming of his fingers resumes (now, it's out of agitation). Of course he doesn't think he's the first inmate to come here who sees no fault in themselves. That's not the same thing as potentially being the first truly flawless inmate.]

Fine. ["Fussy toddler..." Really.] Naturally, I have changed over the course of my life. It is not impossible that I could change again.

Edited 2023-02-16 17:26 (UTC)

[ His eyes flicker to the thrumming fingers and then back up to Sebastian's face.

Yeah, buddy: not better.]

Excellent. Then let's start with who, or rather, what, we're dealing with: what the hell are you actually?

[Hrrmmmm, don't wanna. The thrumming continues.]

Will it go into my ledger page?

Will keeping it a secret directly result in the death, dismemberment, exsanguination, torture, possession, corruption, or otherwise harm anyone else on board?

Sir, with all due respect: I realise my stay here has been short compared to that of many people, but in two months time, two weeks of which I had direct access to the kitchens with all its knives and chances to tamper with the food for the entire Barge, not to mention access to the Admiral's ability to bestow weapons of all kinds... have I done anything untoward to anyone here?

[The only one he has hurt is Johann, and Johann, he knows, won't tell.]

...And since you are a proponent of speaking plainly: no, sir, it will not result in anything of the sort.

Then it won't go in the ledger, no. I only put things pertinent to people's personal safety in there since I consider anything else a matter of someone's own bloody business to share.

[ He raises an eyebrow. ]

Mr.Michaelis, the events I mentioned previously were the result of 200 plus years of manipulation and careful planning, the seeds of which in my own life were planted at the age of eight. My own employees have waited between six months to several years to plot revenges of various severity and I worked for a man for five years of benevolent supervision before he bludgeoned an old man to death with a pipe and left him in my office to frame me for murder.

I'll take your word for it but I know what a long game is.

And if I may make assumptions, I assume these events took place in your own world, sir? [<-- here we see the return of Sebastian's passive-aggressive overuse of titles.] I, too, am well acquainted well long-term planning, but I cannot see why in the world I would bother with such things in this dismal place. [He wants to go HOME and long-term scheme with his master ):]

[Hrm. The absurd possessed mask knows already, Sebastian supposes, and he does assume wardens talk among themselves (or if they don't, they're imbeciles). It's not that he trusts Jon to keep that promise, but his identity is hardly a complete secret as-is. He thrums his fingers for a few additional seconds.]

What I am is a demon.

Not all of them, no.

[ Haha, nice try.]

And you'd be surprised at what inmates in this place have managed with a few months of prep and planning. [ That a huff, mostly of amusement.] Not that I'm trying to inspire you.

[ The answer he gets, though-]

Huh. You know, I don't think I've ever actually met a proper demon. We don't have them where I'm from, outside of fiction and mythology, I mean. What does that entail, exactly?

[ He holds up a finger.]

I'm not trying to delve too far, but I'm well aware that cosmology can vary extensively between different worlds. 'Demon' can mean everything from 'fallen angelic creature' to 'the darkness in someone's heart made manifest' to 'perfectly mortal supernatural creature who's garnered that moniker through human bigotry' after all. Just the general shape would be helpful.

[ He turns his notebook.]

I won't write any of this down, if you're concerned.

"Fallen angelic creature..." [he scoffs. Yes, the idea exists in his world too. It's still ridiculous.]

We are nothing of the sort, no, nor are we innocents unfairly painted as villains. My kind hail from another realm, whence we may be summoned into the human world. Certainly we could be called supernatural. Like humans, we are predators, [a light shrug] but most demons live lives of sloth and hedonism.

[He's so thankful Jon isn't writing anything down right under his nose, sure.]

[ Oh Sebastian. Jon... Jon doesn't do subterfuge. The blunt is as the blunt does.

For right now, Jon nods along. ]

Right, right. So more independent entities that have been assigned a title and are summoned for, one would assume, various means of social, economic, or violent gain. Is it a matter of exchange wherein the human provides something beneficial to you for the service you might provide or purely a situation of supernatural slavery?

Oh, the former. Simple because a summoning takes place, that does not mean the demon must accept servitude.

[Unfortunately for the summoner, since most of the time, if a Contract can't be agreed on, the result is that the demon kills them anyway.]

Right. And what is it that demons value, as I don't want to make assumptions, of course.

"I'm not trying to delve too far" was what you said, was it not? [Isn't this delving a bit far?

With that said, he does answer:] But truly, most demons simply value being fed for their troubles. No one likes to starve, after all.

[ His eyebrows twitch in unison. ]

Which is why I won't ask how this is delving since I'm hardly asking personal questions, only the basic shape of the situation.

"Fed". And what is it that you subsist on?

[ He'll sit up a little and speak before he prompts for that answer more. ]

I could eat normal food as the Archivist but the truth was that the thing I lived on was statements: true accounting of supernatural events that cause pain, horror, or terror.

[ Very dry. ]

I assume you all don't jaunt to the mortal realm for a bloody cheeseburger.

Edited 2023-02-17 16:38 (UTC)

[Sebastian's eyebrows go up in turn, and he laughs a little, surprised. Feeding on "pain, horror, or terror"...!

And after a few moments, once he recovers:]

Why, has anyone ever graduated based on keeping a vegetarian diet, or a kosher one?

That much of a secret. Closer to "mortal souls" or "life energy" than the cheeseburger then. Thank you.

[ He dips his head towards Sebastian. ]

Well, to answer your oh so clever question and address some concerns: I've never seen the Admiral ask anyone to suddenly change species or forgo their required sustenance to leave this place. In truth, largely the changes are holistically beneficial to the person graduating even if they might cause some need for logistical rejiggering. So while I have no doubt that someone will have a fit or two about your species and dietary requirements, it's almost certainly pearl clutching and not something to, in and of itself, believe you will be pressed to change.

[.........................

What if Sebastian just up and left this office right now? Can he do that? Is it allowed?]

How heartening to hear, I am sure.

[ His answer is to raise an eyebrow. ]

Something the matter?

[^_______________________^]

Why, should there be?

[ Eyebrow still raised.]

...well then. I suppose asking you if you can think of why you might be here is pointless since you think you shouldn't be.

Have you recently been engaged in anything which is outrageously cruel or unnecessarily harmful to others, including people you would barely concern yourself with?

...you don't have to specify what it is, yes or no is fine.

Well. In the interest of speaking plainly: [you know, that thing that Mr Sims is so into!!] I can very easily think of reasons why someone would think I should be here.

But as for your actual question: "unnecessarily" is subjective, of course, but-- yes, I have.

I don't think anything yet, other than that you're almost certainly used to talking around things and that's neither here nor there.

[ He folds his hands. ]

Why were you cruel or harmful to others when it was unnecessary to be so?

[Sebastian tilts his head to the side.]

Now, I realise that you only just pointed out that I am "used to talking around things", but right now it truly cannot be helped: my answer depends on how you would define 'unnecessary'.

Edited 2023-02-17 18:47 (UTC)

[ He shakes his head. ]

I'd prefer to ask why you thought it was unnecessary.

[ He turns his hand towards Sebastian. ]

You were content to conclude it was unnecessary even given the subjectivity of the descriptor. So... why?

Because what is considered "necessary" from a human point of view is vastly different from what is considered "necessary" from a demon's point of view, sir. Initially, I did assume we were speaking from a human - or close to one - point of view.

If you will, it was an attempt at being forthcoming. I do not conceive any of my actions as being morally wrong, but I realise that many people might.

[See? He's being a good boy??]

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tw mention of slavery

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