Fanfiction ► Of Vice and Virtue: Pandora's Legacy

[Blackest Night]

I've decided to write a story about the Vice and Virtue tale I came up with so many moons ago. It shall be told in narratives, each in the POV of a different Vice. Enjoy.

NOTE: This fic will most likely NOT be updated on a regular basis. I have many other commitments.

First we have Lust.​

-----------------------------------

“‘Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn.’ You would think after the umpteenth time I heard that particular saying, I would have taken it to heart. Sadly, taking advice has never been my strong suit and because of that, I have to start my search over entirely. All of my work was for naught, all because of her.

Perhaps I should start from the beginning. You’re probably lost by now anyway. My name, oh I have had so many of them. I was once called Calypso, Cleopatra, Byron, Sade, and countless other titles that I have long since lost to the ravages of time. There is but one name that I always answer to, the name bestowed upon me at my creation and the name of that which I spread, “Lust.” I am but one of what is now commonly referred to as the Seven Deadly Sins.

I am sure you have at least heard the tale of Pandora’s Box and the lovely little secrets it held. A perfect woman of ivory skin and rose lips, Pandora was given gifts from all the gods. Athena gave her luxurious clothing; Hephaestus gave her a beautiful necklace. Hermes granted her cunning and charm, and Aphrodite’s gift was that of the utmost beauty. However, Zeus’ gift was not as pleasant. He had plagued Pandora with insatiable curiosity and a box, ordering her to never open it. She would have done well to follow such orders.

Yet, curiosity won out, as it always does. Pandora’s urge to open the box grew beyond her ability to control, and she committed a sin that would allow the evils to be set loose upon the earth. However, the evils let out by Pandora numbered far more than simply pining and slander. Hesiod must have taken some creative license in his particular retelling. The sins freed by Pandora are known as Envy, Greed, Pride, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony, and, yours truly, Lust. In modern times, we are known as the Seven Deadly Sins. We live, according to that which created us, to spread our respective sins for as long as humanity exists. We’ve been given gifts to aid us in our efforts. Simply by being in close proximity to a Vice is enough to cause any sentient being to become infected. The presence of one Sin is enough to override normal human functioning. The presence of the entire collective drives humans to madness. Aside from that marvelous little gift, each of us has been granted our own particular ability. Personally, I wield fire. Burning, surging desire embodied in a raging flame, for the poets out there. I will leave it to the others to explain themselves to you. If anything, Pride would be overjoyed. Sloth, well, Sloth isn’t in too much of a hurry to do anything, for that matter.

The universe and those who live within it do not always see eye to eye. The universe requires balance in order to exist, and it will often reach equilibrium of its own accord. In response to the gods’ creation of Pandora, the universe assembled another being, one who would serve as Pandora’s opposite and equal. His name was Diasthys, and he truly was Pandora’s opposite. Where she was beautiful, he was hideous. Where she was charming, he was repulsive. Perhaps the only thing they had in common was that they both held a box. As Pandora’s yielded the Deadly Sins, Diasthys’ box held the Seven Heavenly Virtues. When Pandora set us loose upon the world, Diasthys opened his own box, setting free the souls of Humility, Kindness, Abstinence, Chastity, Patience, Justice, and Diligence. They exist for the same purpose as we do, though every action they make serves to lessen the effect of our own. Presumably, the relationships between Vices and Virtues are less than pleasant.

I’m sure all of this arduous explanation has gotten you beyond bored. Fortunately, we now approach the more interesting part of this story. It wouldn’t be very fair if you heard it only from me. The others undoubtedly have their own little snippets to add to this tale. I leave it to you to decide who the ‘bad guy’ of the story is, should there be one at all. I leave you now to listen to their accounts of the events that transpired between us all. Beware of Sloth, however. She can be exceptionally tiring.​

It’s been a pleasure.
~ Lust​

--------------------------------

Please note that this is merely a rough draft. I do not expect this narrative or any other to be so short in whatever final draft may eventually exist.

 

[Rich]

I love the mythology of it. I also think it's extremely well written. I should post some of my writing up sometimes, but that's a different story.

Altogether, I love it hun. <3

 

[KHFanatic4565]

Interesting indeed, BN. There is something that isn't right, though I unable to think of it, at the moment.

 

[Blackest Night]

I would very much like to know what that thing is, KHFan. When you figur eit out, let me know.

 

[Ulti]

Well written. Makes you curious. Interesting. I think I shall come to this thread often. Very good work BN. I expected no less from you.

Am I the only one picturing Lust sitting in a cozy chair, drinking wine and wearing sexy clothes in front of a blazing fire?

 

[Tobuoi]

Whoo. Short and sweet...my favorite combination. You managed to make it breif and to-the-point but also interested. Congrats. Not many people can do that...I mean, I actually want to read MORE. ^_^

 

[KHFanatic4565]

Never mind about that. The issue I had wasn't really an issue. After reading over it, there is the lust.

 

[Electropop]

Ah. Blackest Night.

You make me want to go back to Mthology class again. Even though the teacher was a complete ass hole.. I would still go back.

Now for this little tale. Nice clever way of making it into a letter. Love the tales.


I shall sit and wait for more. If you do not update, well i will come back.

With a very nasty little gift.

Love yah. <3

 

[Blackest Night]

I am having trouble deciding in whose point of view to write the next narrative in. When I figure that out, I shall write a new chapter. Once finishing that, It shall hopefully be up.

 

[Electropop]

Envy.

Envy Pure win <3

 

[Blackest Night]

I have here Envy's narrative. For some reason, I place her in a sympathetic light. Enjoy, I suppose.

-----------------------------

“I remember Lust once telling me of his thoughts. During one of our innumerable attempts at overthrowing a king through lust and jealousy, I recall him proclaiming to both me and the empty air his boredom, his exhaustion. He had grown tired of his countless lives, weary of ageless existence. His passion for sins of the flesh fled from those sapphire eyes, replaced for little more than a brief moment with a pleading gaze I had never seen before and most likely shall never see again. Though my words were gentle, my emerald eyes soft, I took pleasure in his words. It was indeed the only time I can remember ever feeling as though I had something that Lust did not: satisfaction.

I’ve hardly introduced myself and yet, I am already delving into a tale. My name, or rather one of many, is Envy. As Lust has undoubtedly told you, I am not simply named after a bane upon humanity. I am personally responsible for every shred of jealousy you feel. That nagging feel of despair and inadequacy in the back of your mind, that burning shiver when you see him with her; all stem from me. Of course, I was granted, if you could call it that, a relatively weak influence. I serve as gateways to the other Vices, little more than a road to Lust, and a passage to Greed. It is a marvelous life, isn’t it?

Yet I digress. I have come here to tell you of the events that transpired among the Vices and Virtues, a tale I am sure you simply cannot wait to hear. The overthrowing of the king (Hans or Harold or Henry, I forget which) worked without flaw, and Lust and I went our separate ways. He never did tell me where he went off to after our silent victory. He most likely went back to her. I never understood what he saw in that vengeful cow… Yet again, I stray from the subject. It was the last time I saw Lust for centuries. Though our sins often crossed, I never did see him.

Pride was the only connection I had to Lust’s world during our centuries apart. As a paranoid defensive measure against some nonexistent threat posed by Lust, Pride kept a close watch on his fellow Vice. According to him, Lust was spending in an inordinate amount of time in libraries forgotten by the common populace. I had expected him to be knee-deep in harems, not books. However, Pride’s “infinite” knowledge of Lust’s activities failed to explain just why the passionate Vice spent his time in musty libraries to begin with, a fault Pride vehemently denied. Though the actual subject of Lust’s research remained a mystery, he seemed to be pursuing it with a fervent passion he had rarely, if ever, shown me or any other Vice.

I often wondered what Lust did in his seclusion, curious as to why he chose to spend it in solitude rather than with me. Surely, isolation could not compare to my company. He was meant for constant interaction, not perpetual dislocation from the world, was he not? So, I waited. Years went by, made innumerable and eternal by the constant passage of time. He was my obsession, an object of my endless envy. According to Pride, I simply waited because Lust had something I didn’t. Yet still, I waited.​

~Envy​

 

[Eikre]

I feel sorry for Envy...good job overall though! Bring in Pride next, like Lust said, he's gonna be overjoyed, and you don't wanna deny him that satisfaction, do you?

 

[Blackest Night]

I would enjoy more comments and criticism, please. I am aware they are short, but I intend for them to be more like letters than actual chapters.

 

[Electropop]

Ah. a sad tale. Yet the truth in some form.

Envy the word strikes me almost everyday. So i must be a sinner...?

Beutiful tale as always.


Sorasheart281~

 

[Laughing Stock]

The same method Stoker used? Something I had contemplated creating a story in the same structure one day... if only I knew with what...

Although well-written thus far, I cannot give you a sound evaluation until I recieve more. Perhaps after another letter or two...

 

[Blackest Night]

I've finished Pride's narrative, finallly. Enjoy.

--------------

“By now, that promiscuous piece of filth has already begun to fill your head with lies, am I right? Of course I am. I can scarcely remember a time when I wasn’t. You’d do well to forget anything he tells you. Lust spreads lies and deceit. It is, after all, his specialty. He’s such a coward to hide behind false truths. He is a liar, a deceiver, and a gutless coward. He is little more than a meek fool, a bumbling deceiver.

Yet most importantly, an introduction: I am Pride. I was Cesar, Augustus, and Alexander. I held the names of Narcissus, Napoleon, and even Lucifer himself. I am the swelling bloat that fills your chest, the urging confidence that wraps around your mind. It is I who give order to my fellow Vices, no matter how much those delinquents object. My word is law, my will unbreakable. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What Envy has undoubtedly shared with you is true. I kept my watchful eye on Lust throughout his odd library phase. Deviance from the Grand Design is hardly tolerated under my order. Lust was constructed and released for the sole and singular purpose of spreading his namesake. His apparent refusal to do so made him a threat to the entire collective. Though I am capable of easily “convincing” Lust to return to his duties, it was Sloth who convinced me that it was best to leave my fellow Vice alone for the time being. According to her, Lust’s inactivity would only result in the strengthening of his thirst. To deny an impulse only serves to magnify it. I conceded to allow Lust to continue his tiresome research in wretched old libraries, though my watching eye never faltered.

Despite my other far more important duties, a single question laid upon my mind. I could not understand why the fool was so interested in these libraries. I was positive that Lust enjoyed only two things: tempting, and pleasures of the flesh. What allure did decaying tomes and rotted books have for someone like Lust? What was so vastly important in those books that it would cause Lust to deny his very being, his very essence? Envy had to have known, though she vehemently denied having any knowledge of Lust’s motive. I labeled her a potential traitor in my mind and kept her under surveillance as well. As Vices, we function as a collective. If one goes down, those damned Virtues will get their sanctimonious fingers over everyone we’ve infected.

Near the end of Lust’s silly phase, I decided to take a closer look into his actions. I was merely curious, of course. Lust poses no threat to me. I entered some ancient Grecian library in which Lust had recently taken up residence. I had evidently startled him, for the moment he laid eyes upon me, he shot up from his seat in a hurried fervor. He moved to close the books he had been reading. My hand darted out, snatching one of the tomes away from him before he could close it. Though I was afraid the pages would crumble at the slightest touch, they stayed intact and my fingers traced over the words inscribed upon them. Lust had been reading up on the box from which he was spawned and the woman who carried it. After “restraining” Lust, I continued my search of his tomes. Every one of them dealt with the creation of the Vices, Pandora’s Box, or Pandora herself. My eyes glared at the other Vice, my gaze met with one unusually cold for Lust. Despite my newfound knowledge of Lust’s actions, the same question remained in my mind.

Why?"​

Who else?
Pride.​

 

[Rich]

Wow. I simply love them. Please do write more. I'm curious as to what the other Vices may be up to. The Virtues would make a good series of letters as well.

Hm, also, this style of writing reminds me of The Screwtape Letters. xD

 

[Blackest Night]

I am done with the first draft of Greed's narrative. I tried to do a more childish writing style, since Greed is rather childish. Comments and criticisms are highly desired.

Of Vice and Virtue
Greed

“I remember when Lust spent all that time in those libraries. They have some good things in libraries. Books. They’ve got plenty of books. Some of them are rather shiny, too. They’ve got gilded covers on the front and they shine very well in the right light. They remind me of this nice necklace I found on some woman’s neck. Have I told you about the necklace? It’s really quite lovely. It’s got a gold chain and these little pearls that I could swear smile at me every time I see them.

Oh, my, I’ve forgotten to introduce myself. I am Greed. Like my name suggests, I love everything that shimmer, glints, glimmers, glows, and all things in between. Sometimes, even things that don’t shine get my attention. Like this rock I found the other day, for example. It’s got a very nice texture to it. I made sure to hide it so Pride wouldn’t find it. He’s got a nasty habit of turning my favorite rocks to dust. Then he goes on and says I act like a child. Well that’s not terribly fair. I put Methuselah to shame. Lust never did that to me. As long as I didn’t bug him or try to help him get rid of anything he owned, he and I had hardly any trouble. But still, he had a very nice necklace and that earring always shone straight at me. How could he expect me not to try to relieve him of their burden?

Anyway, I’m fairly certain I should get to the actual point of this letter. During Lust’s infatuation with libraries, I was often off around the globe and going about my business as per usual. I found some very nice trinkets along the way. I found a spear belonging to someone named Longinus and some large golden box everyone kept referring to as an Ark. I hid those, naturally. Otherwise, Pride might find them and take them from me. I’d hate that.

Sometimes, I would go and visit Lust in his libraries. He would never be happy to see me and he’d often yell for me to leave. I would ask him what he was reading and he’d go on and on about how I wouldn’t care if it wasn’t shiny. That simply isn’t true. I have 3, 456, 682 priceless possessions in my collection that aren’t shiny, thank you very much. The remaining 14, 544, 321 are indeed lustrous, though. I tried to collect some of the books I assumed he was done with, only to be rewarded for my efforts by Lust releasing his rage upon me. Though Wrath currently holds the title of most terrifying when angry, Lust’s temper can strike fear into the hearts of many as well. I quickly turned to leave, unwilling to let myself be subjected to his fury.

As I made my way towards the exit, my hands slipped into the cover of a book Lust had thrown at me. Upon its cover was inscribed a golden symbol that shone and sparkled in the dusty light. I picked the book up, naturally. The poor thing looked terribly uncomfortable where it was lying and it would be a shame if that symbol got dirty. I continued on my path from the library, careful to keep the book hidden from any prying eyes. It was my book and I would keep it for as long as I pleased. I opened it, curious to see just what was written within it. As my eyes read letter upon letter, word after word, its subject became clear to me. This book detailed Pandora’s Box as well as the box belonging to Diasthys. It spoke of their nature, of their essence. It gave subtle hints that there was more to both boxes, secrets that very well tip the scales in favor of either the Vices or the Virtues.

What would Lust want with this? I believed that I should keep it, seeing as how Lust did, in effect, give me the book. He gave me the book violently, yes, but it was now mine. I could have shown the book to Pride. He had been proclaiming, rather loudly, to all of us that he was very close to discovering what Lust wanted with the boxes. He too had once paid Lust a visit, though his was far more authoritarian than mine was. All Pride needed as one more hint, one more little clue. No, this was my book. I found it, so it was mine. Pride would have to wait his turn. If I’d thought differently, it would have saved us all a lot of trouble​

~Greed​

P.S: Have I told you about this ring I found?​

 

[Ulti]

By the first paragraph, I already fell in love with Greed. You did him perfectly. I always loved characters who were treasure crazy. But Greed has to be the best out of all of them <3 Great job BN. Now that Greed is in the race, Lust will definitely have a hard time getting to the boxes.

 

[Electropop]

I love Greed, I think he is so damn cute XD

He reminds me of me, when I see something shiny. xD Lawls. Very very nice chapter, and it fits him well.