Lois Trades

"Okay." Lois said. "So how do we do this?"

The demon snapped her fingers. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the table was cleared. Seven chips were set before Lois in a line. Four in front of Blaze. Blaze's chips were bone trimmed with gold, the portraits of four women on them. Lois Lane's chips were something closer to white marble, with words engraved on them in gold.

Castitas. Temperantia. Caritas. Industria. Patientia. Humanitas. Humilitas.

"Castitas. Chastity. Its equivalent sin is Lust." The demon's eyes flashed. "To lose this is to lose those learned behaviors that hold back your sexual instincts."

"Temperantia. Temperance; paired with Gluttony," the air grew tense. "Though it covers all hungers, not just food and drink. Addicts of all stripes lack temperance."

"Caritas. Charity, paired with Greed," the red finger stabbed at the chip. "This is about want, and ownership. Even gifts might not be freely given by misers consumed by greed."

"Industria. Diligence, paired with Sloth," the devil's lips curled upwards. "Not just physical laziness, but mental laziness. A good reporter needs such a virtue."

"Patienta. Patience, paired with Wrath," Lois stared hard at that finger. "This is not about meekness, but about mercy, forgiveness...you may not think yourself merciful, Lois Lane, but I have no doubt you easily forgive and forget small trespasses..."

"Humanitas. Kindness, paired with Envy." The reporter watched the red finger almost tap the chip...and realized that Blaze couldn't touch it. Not didn't want to, but couldn't. The nail hovered in the air, like two magnets opposing each other. "Some of your more politically conservative fellows might consider this a vice."

"Humilitas. Humility, paired with Pride," Lois looked into the demon's eyes. Emotions flickered across the crimson face. She wanted them all...it was written clear across her features. "No modesty for those who lose this virtue."

"So," Blaze said, moving her hands to grab each side of the table. "Choose. Each virtue you surrender, one soul shall be returned to its owner."

Lois rubbed sweaty palms on her knees. "And these virtues...so if I lose chastity, I become a slut?"

"Not...quite. Humans have free will. Intellect. You can still think in moral terms. But all those instincts and attributes will be gone. Without patience, you will find yourself short of temper; without charity, you might find it harder to buy Christmas gifts...but you can still do so. It will simply be a...struggle."

Teeth flashed. Sharp teeth.

"Of course, you'll still have three virtues left. We could keep playing our game...and perhaps you might win back what you have lost..."

Which is no doubt how the women lost everything, Lois thought. Still, this was the option open to her, and she was going to take it. With a quiet prayer to whatever god might be listening, she pushed forward four chips.