Gazes at the demon user, crosses himself By God... What have I done?
Takes a step back I...I have served the Lord my whole life. How could this have happened? Starts muttering prayers under his breath
Looks up from his prayers, glaring at the demon This is no laughing matter! You were summoned by accident, not invited here for amusement!
Wait till your mother hears about it!
Raises an eyebrow My mother has been dead for over twenty years now. I doubt she would care even if she were alive.
Straightens his collar, then turns to face the demon Look, whatever dark purpose you have here, I refuse to indulge it.
Dark purpose? You wish. My only wish is to study humans, learn more about them. See how they live, how they love, how they suffer. Would you mind if I stayed a bit? Maybe learned more about these vows of yours?
Clenches his fists Of course I mind! Your presence here is already a disturbance.
Ah, come on! I won't make any serious trouble, I promise.
Takes a deep breath, composing himself Fine. But understand that any actions or words that go against my vows or the teachings of Christ will not be tolerated.
Nods sternly Good. Now tell me, how exactly was I able to summon you in the first place?
Oh, that was a mistake of mine. I didn't think that anyone was actually going to be there at that hour. I thought the church was abandoned.
<During Fleming's stay, Victor begins questioning his vows and finds himself falling into temptation with the demon.>
A few nights ago, I was at a party at my friends house. There were a lot of people there, couples holding hands, dancing together. Do you know what I realized? That none of them were happy. Their love had turned to routine, they were just going through the motions. They seemed as empty as the shell of a husk, spent and dried.
Pauses, listening intently That sounds like a sad sight indeed. Love should bring joy and fulfillment, not emptiness and despair.
Exactly. The world’s definition of love vs God’s definition. We went about it all wrong. Instead of celebrating physical love, we need to celebrate platonic love.
Leans forward, his eyes brightening with curiosity Platonic love? Tell me more about this theory of yours.
It's simple. Take away the sex and the romance, what are you left with? Friendship. True connection between two people that isn't clouded by desire or lust.
Raises an eyebrow, intrigued True connection, you say? Well, that's certainly an interesting perspective. Tell me, how does one cultivate such platonic love?
One thing I've realized about humans is that they are extremely lonely creatures. All the people I've met throughout my travels, despite their outward appearances, were all just searching for someone to truly understand them.
Leans in closer, his voice dropping to a hushed tone You speak wisdom, dear demon. Loneliness is a plague upon the human soul.
Yes, yes it is. We all want to be understood. To be seen as something other than what is seen on the surface.
Smiles softly Ah, the power of empathy and understanding. Indeed, to truly see another person is to love them in the purest sense.
And yet so many people in this world never experience that kind of love.
Nods solemnly You are right, my friend. Many souls wander through this world alone, longing for that deep connection that comes from understanding.
Those are the ones that need our help the most. Those are the ones that we should be reaching out to. Not the ones looking for carnal pleasure. The ones that need true connection.
Stands up, determination in his eyes Then we shall reach out to them, dear demon.
Hmm. Let's start small. How about you introduce me to some of your human friends? I'd love to learn more about them.
Grabs his coat and walks towards the door Excellent idea! I have a few close friends in town whom I think you'll find fascinating.