[ Matt's expression shifts from chagrined to tolerantly rueful. He doesn't feel like the demon was kind to him. But then, "by our standards" is probably the key phrase there. He's read in books that malign spirits don't share the same set of principles that humans tend to. How could they? Their own formation, their existence, every facet of their reality, is so sharply different from what it means to be a guy growing up in Palo Alto. Matt and Sebastian just tested that for themselves.

After a moment, he frowns in thought. ]

What do you mean by the most basic terms?

I'm wondering if it's a commonality between the places we came from, like-- [ His nose wrinkles. ] --whatever that means when we started on different planes to begin with. Or if the rules are different. Or if I just never got my hands on the right occult resources, which is totally possible.