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[It doesn't look any more sincere than usual; Hakkai disregards it appropriately, offering one of the seats at his small table with a polite, palm-up gesture.]

Please, have a seat, Sebastian.

[There's a thick manila file folder sitting on the kitchen counter, not yet open or marked up. That will be Hakkai's job over the next few days.]

Since our assignment is permanent, I thought it would be useful to discuss ways to make it as productive as possible....

[Sebastian casts a glance at the doorstopper of a file. He knew, intellectually, that it'd have to be thick, but... even he can't make a snippy comment about how Hakkai hasn't finished reading it already.

And it supposedly chronicles every single awful thing Sebastian has ever done.]

Thank you, [he says, and obediently sits.]

And of course. Needless to say, I will dedicate my every moment and my entire being to securing your Deal for you. [It's a private joke come this point.]

[Mildly] I don't have a Deal, so it's all right if you take a while, Sebastian.

[Steam hisses as he pours the near-boiling water over the tea blend he'd picked; something sharp and astringent, fermented dark in the Indian style rather than any of the more familiar flavors he knows from his own home. It's a shame he doesn't have any yak butter for it; he still fondly remembers Gojyo's face the first time they'd been served tea that way in the mountains. He'd like to see Sebastian's.

He brings the pot to the table, setting it gently in the center and taking his seat across from Sebastian. Dark teas need a few extra minutes to brew.]

I'm more interested in the challenge.

[He folds his hands neatly in front of him and meets Sebastian's gaze with level interest.]

What ideas do you have about your aesthetics so far?

[However mildly it's said, Sebastian's smile widens in plain affront. Every moment Sebastian is separated from his master is inexcusable; there is nothing "all right" about taking his time.

And yes, he knows perfectly well Hakkai didn't mean it like that. He's still offended.

Reaching into one of his uniform pockets, he retrieves a paper which he offers Hakkai. It contains two texts: one in English; in the beautiful but barely-legible cursive of the 19th Century, and the other in equally beautiful, if dated, Mandarin Chinese.]

My apologies; I do not know if you will be able to read either of these. [He does still remember their very first conversation, in which Hakkai informed him that written text doesn't do as well with the translation magic.]

But to summarise what I have written...
As you suggested, I could strive to cause the least amount of harm possible while still fulfilling my master's demands.
I could incorporate into my aesthetics to attempt to maximise happiness for any human I interact with.
I could attempt to prolong the life of my master to the best of my abilities, so long as that would not contrast with their desires.
I could attempt to maximise my master's happiness for whatever time they have left, to whatever extent it is possible.
While fulfilling the task my master has set out for me, I could work towards improving the daily life of humans around me: improving their technology [Sebastian does take some genuine nerdy pleasure in human tech], their standards of living...

I deeply apologise: this list is embarrassingly short. I could list any whimsical idea that crossed my mind [Demon Aesthetics are, after all, completely arbitrary], but I have made an attempt at limiting myself to what I could theoretically grow to genuinely enjoy.

[He takes the page, a faint pinch of a frown appearing between his eyebrows as his gaze flickers over to the Mandarin Chinese. He can read English, but the handwriting is a challenge.

The Chinese isn't quite his own language, but he's learned in his time on the Barge that it is at least written in a way that's almost the same.]

All good ideas, I think. Are there any that you think would be easier or harder to enjoy?

Thank you, sir.

[Hmm. He does take a moment to consider his answer, but when he does speak, it's without any hesitation.]

Maximising happiness for any human I interact with would be the greatest challenge, I think. I would not say I relish seeing random humans miserable as it is, but I likewise think it unlikely I will ever value the happiness of humans such as that.

Working towards improving the daily lives of humans adjacent to my master... that, to me, seems the most enjoyable goal. It would grant me a concrete reason to strive towards always improving. [And he'd get people telling him how awesome he is. That, too.]

Let's focus on that one, then. From a moral standpoint, I think it's likely also important to reduce the overall harm done by your master's orders.

Would I be wrong to suggest that you might also enjoy finding ways to creatively thwart the sort of master who'd give you careless orders?

[Heh...]

The young master once found himself a moment away from being bitten by a venomous snake, all because of a poorly worded order.

[Is Sebastian being deliberately provoking, phrasing his answer like this? Of course he is.]

[Hakkai chuckles.]

Well, I'll take that as a yes, then.

It was very kind of you to ensure the venomous snake didn't actually bite him, if he hadn't phrased his order to avoid it.

I would call it a life lesson on the importance of being precise with one's words. [/father figure of the year]

But of course, you would have me take advantage of such imprecise wording to cause minimal harm instead. [He gets that. But scaring thirteen-year-olds half to death is fun.]

Well, I wouldn't say you have to be nice to everyone to graduate.

[He'd still be an inmate himself if that were the line.]

But I do think that you'll need to make an effort to help others. Possibly you may need to want to, but actions can come before feelings.

It is hardly as if I dislike helping others as it is, even without my master ordering me to do so.

[It's not a protest, exactly; he does understand he's supposed to actively wish to be helpful instead of 'eh, I have nothing better to do right now'.]

I don't think you dislike it. You're very helpful here, for instance, and no one's forcing that.

But I also think that it might be helpful for you to develop a habit of getting around your restrictions in order to do what you believe to be right, and not merely what you can get away with.

May I ask... do you have an innate sense of right and wrong?

Thank you.

[Sebastian's smile briefly takes on something more genuine. Yes, tell him more about how helpful he is and how appreciated it is by everyone.]

Of course, it is part of a butler's duty to be of assistance when necessary. [So it is, in part, still a play-act.]

Objective morality... such a thing is something humans have invented to justify their own subjective values. Whether they admit it or not, everyone acts in their own interest, and for some, doing "right" gives them a feeling of moral superiority.

[That's a lot of words to communicate "no".]

[Not just "no," but also "and I don't believe humans have any sense of right and wrong, either." Hakkai makes a slight, thoughtful noise.]

I certainly wouldn't try to argue that morality is objective, but it's also not all self interest.

Most humans have an inner sense of what is right or wrong to do. Acting in ways we believe to be wrong causes guilt and regret; acting in ways we believe to be right relieves those feelings. And, ah, before you say we're just justifying what we want to do, often what's right is difficult and unpleasant for humans, too.

Is there no satisfaction and sense of accomplishment in taking not the easy route, but instead successfully following through with something difficult? [That still sounds pretty self-serving to Sebastian.]

Either way, I greatly doubt I am capable of feelings such as guilt and regret, so the point is rather moot, would you not say?

Yes, but doing what feels right is often not very rewarding. Nonetheless, it matters.

There is a reason why I asked the question. May I ask... what feelings do you have? What do you find rewarding and what is unpleasant?

Surely I have already mentioned what I find the most rewarding? [He tilts his head.] I would hope you felt not too unwell at the time to retain it. [Rich coming from the one who could barely stand during their last talk.] The most rewarding thing is to live in accordance to my aesthetics.

What is unpleasant, in contrast, is of course somehow failing to achieve them. [And feeling out of control or vulnerable, but that's... too vulnerable to say out loud. Still, though, he recognises that mentioning only Aesthetics won't get them very far; they've already discussed those.]

But as for feelings... I am capable of feeling amusement and interest. Anger and disgust, certainly, and boredom.

[So many emotions! More than two!]

Please do me the favor of assuming that if I ask you a slightly different question, I'm looking for a different piece of information. Unless your aesthetics are the only thing you find rewarding in your existence?

[He can work with that, if he has to, but Sebastian seems to have far more emotional responses to his situation than that would allow.]

What do you find amusing or interesting?

[How dare >:(

Speaking of emotional responses:]

It amuses me greatly when someone I am about to kill begs for their life, on their knees, terrified and barely intelligible, with tears pathetically streaming down their face, grovelling like the insect they are.

[Okay, okay, deliberate provocations aside... He leans back a little in the chair, easing up on the vicious smile.]

That aside... humans are interesting on the rare occasion when they act in surprising ways. How far they will go when truly desperate to attain something is likewise interesting. Their ever-evolving innovations are growing quite advanced for such a base species.

Is this answer more to your liking, sir?

Do you really? I've always found people begging for their lives somewhat distasteful if I'm going to kill them anyway.

[Very much in the tone with which someone would say, "Do you really think that's an appropriate thing to wear in public?"

Since Sebastian prefers aesthetic critiques.]

It sounds as though many of the things you enjoy come from observation, not necessarily interaction.

[Hrm. So talking about harming children gets some sort of reaction, but not killing in general. Noted for the future.]

I will admit I find it somewhat in poor taste when it is my master begging. They should, after all, know better.

And of course? I am not truly part of human society, in the end.

[Some of Hakkai's own past crimes bother him more than others. He regrets the children.

He offers Sebastian a tiny shrug.]

Not being part of human society doesn't prevent you from interacting with humans. Or taking your own actions, when you're in a position to.

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