Persecution

Luco could feel the demon's presence before they even knocked at the door. They weren't terribly strong--a halfling, maybe?--but Luco's office wasn't that much bigger than a large broom closet which gave him plenty of warning before someone knocked. He barely needed an office, and the only reason he'd even ended up with one was because he needed a place to store various pieces of religious paraphernalia away from the chapel itself. There was no point in saying the chapel was open to everyone if it was filled with objects that would cause many in the school to burst into flames from simple proximity.

His office was warded to prevent leakage, and there was even a sign stuck on the door--right below his new nameplate--warning away those with religious allergies.

So it was safe to say that whoever the demon was outside, they probably weren't the type who was badly bothered. Plenty weren't. A lot were only bothered if someone wielded the items with faith itself, and while Luco might count, he wasn't actively using any of them.

Luco popped the door open, a bright smile on his face as he glanced up, only to find that the demon before him was actually the same height as him.

Maybe he was a bit too used to dealing with tall adults.

"Afternoon!" Luco said, almost painfully cheerful. "Could I help you with anything?"

"That would be me, yes," Luco said, grinning widely at her and giving a little nod of his head. He knew he came across as young--fifteen or so, half his age--but had never quite found a good way to address the situation. Should he introduce himself with 'I'm actually thirty years old, I swear, do you want to see my ID'? Most of the time he simply didn't mention it until they did, and then addressed it. A lot of the time it didn't matter how it looked.

"It would be highly inappropriate for me to say that the chapel was open to all people, and then hang religious symbols that might drive some away. I'm sure some avoid it anyway simply because the fact that it's a room of faith is enough to cause them discomfort, but for those who are less sensitive I try to make it accessible."

Luco abruptly brushed pink, well aware that he was already starting to get a bit long winded.

"I mean, of course - whatever you'd like to talk about, I'm happy to speak about too."

"Of course," Luco said, well aware of how things played out. "Unfortunately religion--especially organized religion--has in many cases been outright hostile to demons. It's understandable that even those who are not actively anti-religion might be wary."

Technically it was all religions. Or almost all. Did any demons get bothered by zen koans? People tended to think of Christianity as the most actively aggressive against demons, but even religions that people thought of as benign tended to be actively against demons.

"It's an excellent idea," Luco said, his smile wide and eager. "I think the best way would be... Hm. It might be better to establish that many religious practices can be open to demons, even ones that paint them in an evil light. The possibility for redemption exists in most major religions, after all."

Oh, so she did know. Luco hadn't been sure. He'd known she was a demon--he could feel them all, especially at such close range--but not all demons could feel others. In fact, lots of them couldn't. And while plenty of people did know he was a risen demon, there were just as many (especially anyone who didn't care about the chapel) who didn't. Obviously she'd done her research, and Luco went slightly pink in the cheeks at the realization that she'd known all along.

"Well, I don't really have an office," he said quickly, gesturing to the side. "But I don't think anyone will come in right now. The chapel's pretty slow at this time of day-" And every time of day- "so I think we should be able to talk without being interrupted."

Luco made a point of scooting over himself, grabbing a seat near the side of the chapel to sit and talk.

"I'm from a Catholic background myself, so I can talk about that a bit. The cardinal sins are behaviors that give birth to immoralities, but they aren't traditionally considered to be immoralities in themselves. More, they're seen as... paths to true sins. Well, most. Pride and greed are considered sinful in themselves. But things like lust... the issue isn't lust, it's that it leads to sins like adultery. So I suppose that you could sort of... lead things that way? Like, being a lust demon isn't inherently sinful, because lust isn't - you could master your lusts and live without sin, and consider that like..." Luco paused, aware he was rambling before trying to wrap things up a bit more cleanly. "You could consider it like a mastery. Anyone can lust, but it takes someone really strong--like a lust demon--to master that lust."

Luco was okay with waiting. He was a patient person, the kind who had sat in silence for hours contemplating or praying. So waiting a few minutes was no big deal.

"I think some might have gotten idea to the idea of... not being christian. Some seem to define themselves by what they are not, which I find isn't very healthy at times."

People who defined themselves by the things they weren't, or by the things they didn't like... that was something else. Something frustrating and tiring, to spend energy hating things rather than loving them, whether people or otherwise.

"I... am truly not sure, to be quite honest. I'm not burned by it - although I used to be quite agitated by holy objects when I was young, it stopped bothering me when I was still a child." He paused a moment, trying to ponder it.

"Is it possible it hurts them because they believe it should? A mind over matter situation."