Question 5

[Edgedancer]

When does he exhibit Sloth? Whatever else you can say about Nighthound, he seems to be an industrious little tike. If anything Voidgaze is closer to Sloth.

Wow, I completly managed to forget sloth.

 

Lucentia would be pride. She is pride incarnate. (Does anyone else feel the irrational urge to punch Pride Incarnate in her smug little face? No? Just me? )

 

 

You could argue that he has the slow-burning type of wrath, but I think Lightwards represents it far better. 

 

 

In his intro post, when he has a hound dragging his rickshaw (!!!) even though he could probably walk ten times farther than his hound could drag it, that could be an example of sloth. 

 

….

 

Insanity and Flightiness aren't deadly sins, are they? Neither is (checks list) selfishness, though I suppose Envy would be the closest to that. Quota doesn't really represent any of the cardinal sins, either, though he represents a host of others (cruelty among them). Koschei definitely represents Pride, Wrath, Greed, and arguably Envy as well. 

No your not the only one, although I´m with Kobold a punch to the face isn´t enough, at least not when one of us does it.

 

Lightwards does represent wrath better to be sure. Although, to put more blame on Nighthound, I don´t think that since his fight with Funtimes and Lightwards no one really did something to anger him. That invisible guy didn´t do enough for Nighthound to mind and Ray amuses him. I think Funtimes once did something to his pants/belt but ran away immediately, so he didn´t really have a chance to retalliate.

 

I would call selfishness a mix of pride and greed, personally.

 

Once Nighthound kidnaps Ray, he comes to represent lust quite well.

 

You know what would be kind of awesome? Nighthound vs. a badchull Catholic priest. (Who holds his own. And lives.) The embodiment of arguably every cardinal sin vs. a badchull man of the cloth? Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that could be flipping awesome. 

Originally I intended for Nighthound to never show any interest in women, period. Simply because I knew that the result would be horrible but then there was that storming writting prompt by Brandon. (I supposse a couple of Epics that got mentioned/ are planned would fill the sin better than Nighthound and Backtrack but no one that made an apperance yet.)

 

So basically a good Kirei Kotomine vs Nighthound? Sounds perfect to me.

 

As for the Nighthound/Ray relationship... it's disturbing, but there's nothing explicit. Honestly the worst that's happened on that front is a couple of very creepy hugs. Certainly a violation, but not quite the dark and gritty material you're probably thinking of.

Yeah, I´m doing my best to keep that from going out of control but the worst that is happening in that "relationship" has nothing to do with sexuality.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

The Nighthound/Ray stuff is more the psychological brand of disturbing. Like Kobold and Edge said, it's nothing more than a few creepy hugs, but those are the creepiest hugs I've seen anywhere in fiction. Proof that it doesn't have to be explicit to be disturbing, with a good writer at the helm.

Selfishness as a mix of pride and greed...I can see that. Though it could also be considered a maturity issue, in my opinion.

[Kobold King]

The Nighthound/Ray stuff is more the psychological brand of disturbing. Like Kobold and Edge said, it's nothing more than a few creepy hugs, but those are the creepiest hugs I've seen anywhere in fiction. Proof that it doesn't have to be explicit to be disturbing, with a good writer at the helm.

Selfishness as a mix of pride and greed...I can see that. Though it could also be considered a maturity issue, in my opinion.

 

Exactly. And I think all the Seven Deadly Sins ultimately boil down to putting yourself before others.

 

In other news... it's Brandon Sanderson's birthday!

 

[Edgedancer]

The Nighthound/Ray stuff is more the psychological brand of disturbing. Like Kobold and Edge said, it's nothing more than a few creepy hugs, but those are the creepiest hugs I've seen anywhere in fiction. Proof that it doesn't have to be explicit to be disturbing, with a good writer at the helm.

Selfishness as a mix of pride and greed...I can see that. Though it could also be considered a maturity issue, in my opinion.

[the winter system]

COOL! *highfives*

EDIT: For the Brandon Sanderson picture, not the other one. 

Edited December 19, 2014 by Winter Cloud

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

However you want to take it, I won't judge.

(Though it was meant as a compliment. )

[Edgedancer]

However you want to take it, I won't judge.

(Though it was meant as a compliment. )

Then I shall be merciful and call it a compliment.

 

So did you start reading Alcatraz or only the sample chapters?

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Then I shall be merciful and call it a compliment.

So did you start reading Alcatraz or only the sample chapters?

It's the actual book. I saw it at my library back during finals, and since I felt I didn't have time to start a new book and risk being hooked, I gave it to my sisters first. They loved it, and I've just now started. (Though I'm far enough to assume my Talent is probably panicking about tests I have a good chance of acing. )

[the winter system]

Oh! Such a powerful Talent indeed. 

[mail-mi]

New Reader post up! This time with flashback!

[Edgedancer]

New Reader post up! This time with flashback!

 

Reader was just omnipotent, not immortal.

Ignoring the glaring overconfidence, I don´t think Reader knows what omnipotence is. I´m pretty sure someone that can do everything can also do something to keep his mortality at bay.

[mail-mi]

Ignoring the glaring overconfidence, I don´t think Reader knows what omnipotence is. I´m pretty sure someone that can do everything can also do something to keep his mortality at bay.

 

....doesn't omnipotent mean all-knowing? If it isn't, what's the word that starts with omni- that does mean all-knowing? I'll change it to that. 

[Edgedancer]

....doesn't omnipotent mean all-knowing? If it isn't, what's the word that starts with omni- that does mean all-knowing? I'll change it to that. 

That would be omniscient. Omnipotent is something like the christian god that can literally do everything.

 

[mail-mi]

 

That would be omniscient. Omnipotent is something like the christian god that can literally do everything.

 

 

 

Got it. Changing that now.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

That would be omniscient. Omnipotent is something like the christian god that can literally do everything.

...that's how I read it--as Reader being so arrogant he thinks his (kinda puny) power makes him literally godlike.

[mail-mi]

...that's how I read it--as Reader being so arrogant he thinks his (kinda puny) power makes him literally godlike.

 

No, he is well aware of his limitations, especially with Koschei at his side. 

[Edgedancer]

...that's how I read it--as Reader being so arrogant he thinks his (kinda puny) power makes him literally godlike.

To be fair, even if he was that arrogant he would have contradicted himself immediately.

[Newan]

Wow. That is a very detailed headcanon. I admit I hadn't put as much detail into my thought process when I sought out churches in The Dalles. 

 

I actually didn't have a specific church in mind when I wrote that scene. I'd looked at various churches in The Dalles to get an idea of general architectural trends, and then described the church according to the most common attributes. (I was actually somewhat afraid of getting too many details right about an actual church there; when I started that scene, I wasn't entirely sure where it was going. I knew it would end in horror, but I wasn't sure how, so I used a fictional church to avoid accidentally implying anything about a real one.) Emmanuel Baptist Church (technically in Chenoweth) could be considered a match, although I'd describe it as "sprawling" rather than "narrow" and "pointed." 

 

As for this church's denomination, I too pictured it as interdenominational. My personal headcanon was that although many believers still embraced denominations nominally, in practice the lines between the different sects became blurred after Calamity brought all the social difficulties it did. It's difficult to claim Catholics aren't really Christians—as, sadly, some Protestants do—when you're in a refugee center, watching a priest care for a burn victim like she's his own daughter. So by the time Koschei came into town (roughly six years after Annexation Day) people simply attended whichever church was closest to where they lived. Some churches in communities traditionally divided by denominations (for instance, the downtown area where no fewer than ten churches are located would have had some families attending Seventh Day Adventist services, with others going to Baptist or Mormon or Foursquare churches, even if they lived down the street from one another) would have seen an influx of attendees from other denominations. These churches may have put various pastors in a rotation of sorts—congregants would hear a sermon from an SDA pastor one week and one from a Catholic priest the next. I have it in my head that some of those churches might even embrace the American colonial Quaker practice of not having a pastor; like the Quakers, they would probably sing a few songs, then sit and allow whoever had a word or insight they felt led to share to come forward and share it. Since those churches would almost certainly be of mixed denominations, there would be quite a bit of discussion and even debate on various doctrinal points. 

 

….

 

Where was I again? 

 

Oh. Right. The church Koschei attacked wasn't really based on any existing church. 

That's cool that you also thought of it as multi-denominational church.  It's always amazing to me how different groups of people come together during a disaster, so it just makes sense that in a world with constant disasters, the differences between religions wouldn't seem worth fighting over anymore.  

 

Wow. Really awesome work! This is as awesome as the Harry Potter fans who worked out where Durmstrang is located. Upvote!

Newan, that is not only excellent and well-thought through headcanon, but it is also meaningful and deep. Thank you.

Thanks, guys!  I'm glad you liked it.  

 

 

Also, one of the Chaoses could be glutton.  I've been thinking about this one for a while. Now seems as good a time as any to post it.  (I do need Kobold's permission for this one, though.  It would be in character for this to happen, but I just wanted to ask and make sure.)

 

Chaos Backup

As opposed to most of the Chaoses, Chaos Backup's name didn't come from an epic he killed.  He's called 'Chaos Backup' because he is Chaos's backup plan.  

 

Chaos is very powerful, but he has no prime invincibilities.  Just in case everything went wrong and all the Chaoses on the island kingdom of Order were killed, one was sent away to find a place where he could stay and nobody could kill him.  He went to Northern California and armed himself with some very minor insults.  

 

Powers:  

(1)True omnivore: he can eat anything that can fit in his mouth, with no negative repercussions.  His body breaks down the elements and turns them into nutrients.  A small bomb could be a healthy snack.  He could subsist on sand indefinitely.  

Weakness: the color red.  If he is touching anything that is red, his eating power does not work.  

(2)Specialized teleportation: he can switch places with a vanilla human.  (This doesn't give him the ability to automatically know where every vanilla is.  It's like there is a list of vanillas in his mind.)  

Limitation: If he is going to trade places with a vanilla, a Chaos needs to have made physical contact with that vanilla, while he held the power.  When he passes this power to a different Chaos, the vanillas he can trade places with do not change.  Because of this, Chaos Backup is a little bit more huggy than other Chaoses.  

Weakness: He cannot trade places with anyone who is wearing a hat.  

 

Every month, Chaos Backup returns to Order.  He trades places with a human slave, which sends that slave to the pocket universe.  He then switches powers with one of the other Chaoses.  The new Chaos Backup trades places with the human slave and stays in the pocket universe for a month.  It's a pretty boring job.  

Since this Chaos literally does nothing but sit around and eat all day, I thought he fit gluttony pretty well.  

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Is…is this Funtimes, or twentydeaths!Lightwards? I can't decide. 

 

 

[Mailliw73]

Is…is this Funtimes, or twentydeaths!Lightwards? I can't decide. 

 

 

 

I'm thinking Lightwards down the road, but I can see Funtimes too.

[the winter system]

But with Funtimes there would be a lot more glitter. 

[Kobold King]

That's cool that you also thought of it as multi-denominational church.  It's always amazing to me how different groups of people come together during a disaster, so it just makes sense that in a world with constant disasters, the differences between religions wouldn't seem worth fighting over anymore.  

 

Thanks, guys!  I'm glad you liked it.  

 

 

Also, one of the Chaoses could be glutton.  I've been thinking about this one for a while. Now seems as good a time as any to post it.  (I do need Kobold's permission for this one, though.  It would be in character for this to happen, but I just wanted to ask and make sure.)

 

Chaos Backup

As opposed to most of the Chaoses, Chaos Backup's name didn't come from an epic he killed.  He's called 'Chaos Backup' because he is Chaos's backup plan.  

 

Chaos is very powerful, but he has no prime invincibilities.  Just in case everything went wrong and all the Chaoses on the island kingdom of Order were killed, one was sent away to find a place where he could stay and nobody could kill him.  He went to Northern California and armed himself with some very minor insults.  

 

Powers:  

(1)True omnivore: he can eat anything that can fit in his mouth, with no negative repercussions.  His body breaks down the elements and turns them into nutrients.  A small bomb could be a healthy snack.  He could subsist on sand indefinitely.  

Weakness: the color red.  If he is touching anything that is red, his eating power does not work.  

(2)Specialized teleportation: he can switch places with a vanilla human.  (This doesn't give him the ability to automatically know where every vanilla is.  It's like there is a list of vanillas in his mind.)  

Limitation: If he is going to trade places with a vanilla, a Chaos needs to have made physical contact with that vanilla, while he held the power.  When he passes this power to a different Chaos, the vanillas he can trade places with do not change.  Because of this, Chaos Backup is a little bit more huggy than other Chaoses.  

Weakness: He cannot trade places with anyone who is wearing a hat.  

 

Every month, Chaos Backup returns to Order.  He trades places with a human slave, which sends that slave to the pocket universe.  He then switches powers with one of the other Chaoses.  The new Chaos Backup trades places with the human slave and stays in the pocket universe for a month.  It's a pretty boring job.  

Since this Chaos literally does nothing but sit around and eat all day, I thought he fit gluttony pretty well.  

 

So he went to California and tracked down Mobius, just so he could insult her and get banished to a pocket universe? That takes a lot of guts, but it's definitely a clever way to avoid permanent death. You have my stamp of approval, not to mention upvotes.

 

 

Is…is this Funtimes, or twentydeaths!Lightwards? I can't decide. 

 

 

 

Definitely twentydeaths!Lightwards. Soon to be twenty-onedeaths!Lightwards.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Still giving his most malicious smile, the Doctor took several steps back. The man in the bloodstained coat had not come alone--several men stood around him, wielding rifles and fixing the intruders with flat stares.

 

Stares a little too flat, even for hired muscle or mercenaries.

 

"I'd ask where you got your goons," he said to the stranger. "But I suspect I wouldn't like to hear the answer."

 

"That's a common enough reaction," the raggedy professor sniffed. "Fortunately I don't need for you to agree with me. You merely have to stand still while I decide whether or not to add you to my army."

 

The man stalked through the jungle, hand against a large pistol by his side and his eyes narrowed. "Doctor, do you know these people?"

 

"Well, this is my associate Clara," the Doctor began, "These other people are new to me--"

 

"Not you," the professor snapped. "You!" His finger pointed at the beaming woman in the colorful prom dress. "Did you bring these people here?"

 

"Nopity nope," the woman sang cheerily. Her mouth opened once more, but the Doctor interrupted.

 

"Wait," he cut in, "You're a doctor?"

 

She responded with a wide and sweeping curtsy, which shed a phenomenal amount of glitter onto the forest floor. Nathan spoke up for her. "This is Doctor Funtimes," he explained solemnly, "I'm Traveler, and this is Emperor Lightwards."

 

'Emperor' Lightwards didn't take kindly to the introduction. "If they're here then they already know who we are, Traveler," he hissed irritably. "I want to know who sent them and for what purpose."

 

"Nobody sent us," the Doctor retorted. "We just stumbled across this place, didn't we Clara?"

 

"That about sums it up, yeah."

 

"You stumbled across us?" Lightwards said flatly. "You were simply meandering about, and found yourselves in my capital without warning. My capital, which floats thousands of feet above the city. My capital, which is filled to the brim with my scouts, who did not see you until you were already in the direct center of the building."

 

The Doctor shrugged. "Happens to me more than you'd think. I once walked in on Montezuma I while he was using the lavatory."

 

"That does explain a few things," Clara mused. "He wasn't exactly happy to see you when we went."

 

"Well it's hardly my fault 15th century Aztecs hadn't invented the 'occupied' sign..."

 

Doctor Funtimes at this point fell into a bout of uncontrollable giggling. Nathan was grinning ear to ear, and Lightwards was staring on in bewilderment and growing fury. Only the bland-faced goons of his showed no reaction at all to the conversation.

 

Before the discussion of Montezuma's lavatory habits could progress further, Lightwards turned his back on the intruders, directing his voice to the raptors at all sides. At the sound of his voice, the dinosaurs stiffened at once, bristling with anticipating like sheepdogs at their master's words. These dinosaurs weren't wild by any means--they were owned body, mind, and soul. They stood ready to spring the moment he finished his order.

 

"Kill them," said Lightwards.

 

"That won't last very long." 

 

To that point, Traveler-Nathan had garnered nothing but ire from the so-called Emperor. For whatever reason, his remark made Lightwards raise his hand and order his raptors to "Hold." Then, turning to him with a look that could have burned the jungle to ash, he added: "Explain." 

 

Nathan's idiotic grin was gone and his hands were back in his pockets. He shuffled his feet, and the Doctor got the impression he had to force himself to meet the Emperor's gaze. "He resurrects. That's why." 

 

Daleks have two methods of prompting for more information. The first involves shouting the word Explain until the listener wishes such a word did not exist, if Daleks can use it so obnoxiously. The second, and far more irritating, method involves twitching their eyestalk up and down, flaring the scope until the listener wonders if the Dalek is malfunctioning. Lightwards had already made use of the first method. Here, he utilized the second; though, lacking an eyestalk, he resorted to lifting an eyebrow. 

 

Nathan drew a long breath as one of the raptors let out a long hiss. "I heard about him, back in Newcago. The Doctor. Steelheart censored a lot of what we knew about him, but I found out everything I could." 

 

"Go on." There was an unspoken Or I'll kill you the second your glittering guard dog turns her back. 

 

"Resurrection—that's one of his powers." 

 

"And one of mine. Get on with it or get out of the way." 

 

"It's different from yours. You—you stay the same. Him? He changes—literally, he becomes a different person every time he dies, and if you kill him, there's no telling who you'll be dealing with next." 

 

Lightwards' eyes narrowed. "I'm willing to take my chances." 

 

"I'm not." The Doctor wasn't sure he liked Nathan knowing about his regeneration, but if it kept the dinosaurs at bay, he was willing to share a little more. "One time I died in the middle of a war, and next thing I know I'm blowing up my own planet." He forced a laugh. Had he still thought that the truth, he would have never trusted this horrible, blood-splattered man with that bit of his life. "At least, that's how I remember it. Crazy weekend, that." 

 

A hint of uneasiness had made its way into the Emperor's glare. "Your own planet?" 

 

"Oh, yeah. He's not from here. I mean, you didn't think Earth was the only planet with Epics, did you?" 

 

"It is now, if he destroyed his own world." 

 

"Making him the most powerful Epic on our planet. Maybe in the universe." Lightwards' hand twitched toward his pistol. "Resurrection isn't his only power—what kind of Epic only has one power, anyway? He can go anywhere he wants, to any time he wants." 

 

"Stopped by ancient Rome for some wine and took it to the future once. Can't say as anybody appreciated it." 

 

Casting a glance at the other Doctor, whose giggle fit had eased back into the same protective glare, Lightwards dared a step toward Nathan. The largest raptor growled, shifting his feet, and a rock became a grenade in Funtimes' hand.

 

"If he's the most powerful Epic on the planet," the Emperor asked, his voice low and dangerous, "then why have I never heard of him?" 

 

Unlike his moronic grin from before, this smile seemed to make Lightwards nervous. "Because he only returns to Earth when he feels like it."

[Voidus]

Who's next up at the Sadrys?

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Who's next up at the Sadrys?

Everyone. Everyone is next. Let's all post at the same time and see if anything makes sense!

I think either Mailliw or Kobold.