004; video (demon)

[strategisch]

[Before he even speaks, there is something distinctly, perceptibly different about Armin. For one, he is lounging. Armin does not lounge. He barely even relaxes. Secondly, his eyes just aren't... right. They lack their normal clarity and alertness. They are hazy, and subtly scrutinizing, as if he's sizing you up.]

Good and Evil. Hmm.

[He presses his fingertips together.]

I think such broad terms are too... confining. It depends on the situation, doesn't it? You can harm a person to save yourself, or someone you love. Or your kind actions, or good intentions, can lead down an unwitting path of destruction. No, drawing a line line in the sand between what is and is not sin-- that isn't very fair, is it?

Stipulations. There needs to be stipulations. The Commandments should be open to amendment. Humans aren't as simple as they were... How long has it been now? 4000 years ago? It's not all first borns and blood sacrifice anymore. We need to modernize. Preferably democratically.

Not every good action is good for you. Not every bad action is bad for others. Think about that.

[This, of course, is a logic trap. Any action you would take would then end up being a sin. But that's exactly what he wants. Spreading little discontents is so much more effective than traditional tempting.]

Comments

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[eatsyourscience]

.....

..........

Are you feeling okay, Armin?

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[strategisch]

Souji!

[He says his name like he's greeting an old friend, and far more gregariously than the normal Armin ever would.]

I'm feeling great! Never better! How are you?

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[eatsyourscience]

Confused.

[Very.]

You're in a really good mood today.

video; (default icon while i recharge anount)

[strategisch]

What for? Something bothering you, friend?

[His good mood does seem slightly insincere, but it's hard to tell. Moreso he feels... off-kilter. Unbalanced.]

video;

[eatsyourscience]

[Well, might as well be straightforward.] Some people are acting pretty weird. It must be an event, but I'm not really sure what's supposed to be happening.

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[strategisch]

An event? Hmm.

[He's logical enough to see the point that Souji is trying to make: You are acting strangely, therefore, an event must be effecting you. But. Nah. He doesn't want to go down that road. He likes how he feels right now, so why mess with it?]

Well, I feel the same as always!

[humanities_strongest]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[Really Armin, why waste your breath on these people?]

You could have just said that.

[strategisch]

[He smiles, languid.]

Oh Levi. Rule number one: never say Hell. I don't have a problem with it of course, but you know how humans are. One mention and they go skittering for Confession.

Besides, they're used to this sort of deal. Everything they sell to each other is built to break in five years. They expect things to fail, sooner or later.

[humanities_strongest]

They're humans. Everything sends them skittering.

[Like really, they could think they see a cross in their shit in they would worship it.]

Something so imperfect can't make anything that lasts. Disgusting things.

[strategisch]

Tsk tsk. An attitude like that won't produce results! You have to embrace their imperfections, it's the whole reason they're able to sin in the first place.

[humanities_strongest]

That's what separates you and I; you think they are fascinating creatures while I see them for what they really are.

[Bugs.]

[strategisch]

Honestly, you're still such an angel. Did you just take a wrong turn on your way to work one day, or do you actually have a reason for being Down Here?

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[avoirfaim]

Humanity has never been simple, Armin, merely undeveloped.

[ It seems, Armin, that the two of them are fated to, in these particular sorts of events, know each other. This time, the connection is older than the dust of bones. Falling from heaven will do that to you. ]

Who are you trying to seduce, with your talk of semantics?

video; (I need to recharge my account!)

[strategisch]

[Armin smiles at his colleague, as he respects him as a demon who takes his tempting as a form of art. Slow, meticulous, and perhaps a little old fashioned, but effective. Their methods are different (Armin could never masquerade as an angel, despite sometimes using his innocent looks to his advantage) but their joys are the same.]

As many as I can, of course! Even when seeds are scattered on the ground, a few are bound to take root.

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[titanocidal]

You like hearing the sound of your own voice, don't you?

[In spite of what he is now, the look Eren is giving Armin is anything but angelic]

But that's so like your kind. Leading people astray through self doubt is to be expected.

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[strategisch]

Eren! Hello again!

[Armin knows that ignoring the Angel's point is the best way to, ahem, ruffle his feathers, so he does just that. He absolutely loves their relationship of mutual hate.]

And how are we today? I daresay you look a tad irate!

[titanocidal]

Why do you think?

[Yeah, Armin knows all the right buttons to push, alright. He and Eren had known each other for such a long time that it was little wonder.]

You've gone too far. Trying to seduce their kind down such a path in such a direct way...! That crosses the line, Armin.

[strategisch]

Now now, this is hardly direct at all! It's not as though I'm taking Eve's hand towards the fruit. They still have to think for themselves.

Your methods, however, could still use some polishing. You're very quick with the fire and glory approach, and that went out of style thousands of years ago.

[titanocidal]

[Huff!] You're using their natural gifts against them.

[Free will was a two edged blade, sometimes.]

Sometimes it's good to stick with what works. Maybe the reason you want to shake things up so much for this new generation is because your old methods aren't working.

[strategisch]

Exactly! When they do half the work, everything moves so much more efficiently.

Oh, I admit that they don't. But neither do yours. I wouldn't go around setting anyone's hedges on fire today; they take such pride in keeping them perfectly square, and I think they'd be very angry about it.

voice; CRIES, IS IT TOO LATE TO GET IN ON THIS?

[boyhood]

<sub>[What's shakin', fellow demon spawn? No demon necessarily has to like his brethren, but he does like these kinds of logic games. Talking people in circles is one of his favorite hobbies, too. A round of applause for Armin! Subtlety is the best weapon a person has, and not everyone does.

Whether demon or human, though, Peter Pan still rarely finds the time to make video replies, so all Armin gets is the usual smooth, English accent, even-handed but not unamused.]</sub>

And what would be your first stipulation? If you had the chance to rewrite the rulebook, that is.

voice; shhhh it is never too late

[strategisch]

[Hi, Peter! Armin puts on a wicked grin as his fellow demon engages him in just the way he'd like.]

Well, if we're talking about the Big Ten, we need to broaden the terms on murder. Self defense, war, that sort of thing. But one thing should stay the same-- Taking the Lord's name in vain. Do you know how many billions of times people curse God every day? No, that's too sweet a honeypot to mess with.

;__; <3

[boyhood]

_{[Well, there is one thing they can take comfort in at all times...]}

Ah, ah, but people don't change even when the rules do. That's the only constant we need.

<sub>[Peter's a big believer in mankind being inherently corrupt from birth. More accurately, that people are born blank slates, malleable, prone to letting desires sway them to one extreme or another. That puts him on the side of those who fail to let "good" and "evil" define them.

It's all relative. Evil is made, not born.]</sub>

Are you actually looking to write up a new contract? Snare a few more souls on technicalities? _{[He's amused.]} Ambitious.

[strategisch]

Ah, it's just a bit of idle thought. [He almost looks disappointed about it, really.] Unfortunately, the game has been played by The Rules for centuries, and I think both sides would have a fit if they were changed. There's a lot of... traditional tempters, you know.

[boyhood]

Oh, I know.

<sub>[It's Peter's turn to sound a little disappointed. And bored.

Tradition isn't something he adheres to religiously (no pun intended!), and trying to escape those shackles is a bit like an animal trying to gnaw off its own appendage to escape a trap. It doesn't work so well when only a fraction of your will belongs to you.]</sub>

But think about it! Don't you think changing the rule set would be just the thing to stir people up? Not just the humans, but the good and virtuous, too. Everything would shift. It's not that different from what you were suggesting.