(no subject)

[nestingdevil]

Personality:
Greed has the atmosphere of a person that just does not give a fuck, to put it frank. He wants it all - money, power, status, women, sex. To quote, "He wants the finer things in life." But despite his avarice, Greed has a very friendly-bordering-on-unsettling demeanor - all smiles that welcome each and every person into his arms. Well, for the most part anyway. He comes off very frank and he's not afraid to show people who he is. The attention he gets, the feeling he gets - that is what matters to him. Status doesn't just mean money and power (though as I said previously, those are important too) - people matter. What they think of him matters - how they act around him matters. Everything is a possession for Greed and that is how he lives his life.

Despite his rather selfish nature though, his personality is of a different cut than the rest of his siblings. Whether intentional or not, Greed has a very upfront demeanor, but he also seems to be rather intrigued when it comes to humans. He holds no ill will against them (another oddity in the sin-bunch) and is actually impressed by them on numerous occasion; IE Ed's determination and skill when they first met in Dublith, Ling's concession to let Greed take over his body. While he might mock them sarcastically, he has admitted respect and even a slight admiration: "I like that determination of yours."

He's a care free kind of guy, sends his anxiety to the wind kind of guy. But he'll be the first to claim someone if they're loyal and once he's done that, he's there for life. Or as long as said person lasts. Greed does things his own way and he has no intention of following orders or rules. He'll break them as soon as he gets that spark of want, need - which is to say, he'll be quick to turn tail from law and order at the drop of a hat.

If one happens to get on his bad side, he can be vicious. But he has no intention of harming "women and people with loved ones." He'll spare a foe if they turn around and walk the other way. But if they continue to threaten his things, he'll stop at nothing to bring said offender down. That being said though, he's not prone to violence. He'd rather strike a deal to get what he wants. However, should push come to shove? Obviously, he'll roll up his sleeves and get into it. Not without dramatics, groans, and the usual quip: "It's just better to take the deal."

A thing to point out, though, is that unlike the rest of his siblings, he does have a few standards. As I mentioned above, he won't harm women. That means he won't fight, harm, hurt, etc women if he can help it. Perfect case in point: during his first incarnation, Izumi ends up attacking head on. In both the manga and the show, he comes off with a pout saying to the extent of: "Oh give me a break. I'm not interested in fighting a woman." It just isn't in him.

Greed is also vain - as vain as he can be. His "ultimate shield" comes with the price and that price is less elegance than he's comfortable with. When he first shows off his ace-in-the-hole to the elder Elric brother, he even states that his shield form "isn't flattering."

Seems Greed also has a soft spot for outcasts, as seen with his taking in of the chimera from Lab 5. God help the outcasts all right - and Greed is the very creature to do so. This same trait is repeated when he's purified and placed into Ling as a vessel. When he defects from the rest of the homunculi a second time, he even admits: "Working under me means you're an outcast." He seems to be drawn to that sort of idea; a concept of living his life by his own rules, needs, and ideas. Nonconforming in all the right and wrong ways, though he'd be the first to say that right and wrong aren't so easily established. At least, not by his standards.

➥ The Ling-Yao Effect

While I'm throwing him back in his original body here, there have been significant changes due to the shared-mind aspect of Ling Yao. While Greed is still that - needy, avaricious, etc - Ling provided a sort of anchor to what he really wanted. Showed him a bit of humility (though questionable). His desire to possess the world, to possess power, money, fame, etc, is still there, but with the sub-text that his things are more than that. That there's worth in his possessions: they're his friends, the only thing that he chose. And that? Holds a lot of value.

Greed's always been the odd-man out, in terms of the seven deadlies. He wasn't prone to violence prior and he still isn't. But he finds a lot more value in the company he keeps, IE the friendships he makes. While he's still at the point of disregarding it at the surface, Greed's the kind of creature to stick by those he aims to keep. He may still call them his possessions, his things, but deep down, the guy's got a bit of a softer spot thanks Ling's influence. And if someone crosses the line, he's not about to risk losing his things a second-time running.

He's still a bit crude, a bit rough around the edges. But with both the experience at the 'Nest and the eye-opener that was/is Ling, Greed's far more concerned at keeping his things his - probably a little more tenacious when it comes to protecting what he's got hoarded (see: minions, friends, whatever you want to call 'em). Life and the living are far more valuable and while he won't come out and say friendship is magic, it is something that he holds a little more dear.

In terms of Ling, it's an odd sort of thing. Ling's probably one of the rare people Greed can compliment pretty frequently and mean it fully and truly, without sarcasm and without other intentions in mind. Maybe a bit of humanity slipped through the cracks. Equivalent exchange after all, right? What it can be said is that Ling did shed light on some things: that ever-present need that couldn't be satiated, the desire beating since it was made. Greed couldn't fill it, no matter how hard he tried. And while he had what he really wanted back in Dublith, it didn't occur to Greed until far after - when all was dead and done and it was Ling that corrected him. That showed him he didn't want just the world in his hand and all the power that came with it: he wanted some buds to go along for the ride.

I think it's the first time in Greed's life someone actually called him on his shit and put on the brakes. Even without having the parasitic relationship here, the situation's left its mark. Greed won't change entirely - couldn't, really - but there's definitely a new-found appreciation for those that he keeps in his inner circle. Probably a little more fiercely protected with this knew-found knowledge, thanks to the brat from Xing.

So the same sort of factors apply: he's still a cool-cut criminal deep down. Still flaunts the nonchalance and uncaring attitude to the wind. But when it comes down to the wire, the Sin's far more likely to jump into the heat of things to keep him and his safe. Though, it can be said, he'd probably shrug it off the next second. Because he can't keep things too serious for too long.

Even before being exposed to the Prince, Greed's always been a little more friendly. A little more in touch with the mortal lot and while he's pushy and a bit abrasive, that other side of him does get more and more exposed thanks to Ling's prodding. A good example of this in canon is during third fight with Wrath, which leaves both him and the current-Fuhrer hanging over the edge of Central. Greed's holding on and Lan-Fan goes to grab his hand. Because it's her duty - Greed tells her that's stupid and why the hell would she risk herself. She's hurting her own-well being and he can handle it. But when she bleeds, when she says that her grandfather has passed, it seems to shock Greed into silence. He's not human, so he'll never be able to fully-understand the grieving process, but he knows the feeling. At least, he think he does. I think that aspect of him was brought out by Ling - through force. Through making Greed actually look at the world around him with a second set of eyes and say, "See? This is how it really is."

It's a big change, especially since Dublith, where Greed only remarked to Wrath that he had killed his "possessions." Saying, "Just who do you take me for, exactly?" when Wrath made the comment that Greed had some feeling for his pawns. No - to him, they were merely his things. And he just took it at simplicity's face-value: that it was stealing. He mistook grief for his avarice - calling Wrath out for pilfering what was his. When, in actuality, he just didn't want to lose the only sort of family/life that was by his choice and his alone. Ling kicks this into Greed's skull pretty early on. This sort of change would be reflected currently. As said above (I think I've repeated myself too many times SORRY FOLKS), Greed's not going to admit it. Not openly. But that exposure's stuck around like a bad scar.

It's a bit confusing. Someone once remarked to me that Greed's almost there - almost human. Kind of like someone staring in, trying to mimic the movements, but it's still a little off. Like there's still something missing in the translation. But with being exposed to Ling and actually having to make a choice against his rather-questionable moral-compass (IE never lying, never harming women, everything else is all in or all out), he chooses to lie through his teeth to save someone else. And maybe this all goes back to the very beginning: that Greed doesn't want to see people that he's claimed as his very own harmed, hurt, or worse. I think he learned the lesson a few times over and it gave him a bit more clarity on things.

But that doesn't mean he's turned into a hero of the people. More that nice back-alley that always has the light on. If someone gets lost, they're welcome to stop by, but don't think for a second the devil won't ask for a due or two under the guise of business. However, there's more than meets the eye there: that he cares even if every part of him says, "Pfft, whatever." I believe Greed always had this in him, but he just didn't know what it was until Ling showed up and, quite literally, knocked the definition into his head.

In current circumstances, Greed'll still play the part of the slum-dog down the street. Itching for money in his hand, for power at his fingers, for women in his company, and plenty of other needs and wants that even he doesn't know yet. But I think he's more apt to play a part where situations call for it. "Always been a fan of the underdog," as to his own words, after all.

He's a rebel and a menace. Charming and vicious. Deadly with all his given-gifts, but an open door should a misfit or two fall into his lap. Or should he find interest. Or simple because, hell, he wants to.

And everyone wants something, don't they?