September 29th, 2017
29 Sept 2017 · page 735 of 1306
Apologies for the blip in service, I'm kind of nearly healthy again now! Tuesday's filler will be gone from the archives in a bit, but it lives on on my tumblr here.
Got some slightly dinged books up on sale on the shop- They're nearly half price!
Cast: Benjamin Thackerey, Heinrich Wolfe, Sidney Malik, Verity Cunningham
Comments (45)
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Oh, that's a good question, Sidney! I wonder that too!
RIGHT?! If only the answer had been DRAWN (or possibly Sidney had waited for the answer. Did he keep yammering after asking the question?
Maybe we will find out sometime. ; ) ...We know that Wolfe was interested in Widdershins even when he met Mal. How he persuaded Mal to go back to England, let alone Widdershins, is really amazing to me after this backstory with Ms. Acedia. But, why was Wolfe interested in Widdershins in the first place? /: |
As we can see here - [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/march-26th-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/march-26th-2012/") - he perhaps just hoped wizards there could help Mal with his... sight problems (2nd and 4th panels).
True, but remember, Maria, he was interested in Widdershins before he even knew about Mal's sight problems, see: [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/may-16th-2014/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/may-16th-2014/")
: )
I do remember :)
But he could just have two goals to visit Widdershins :)
Or more :)
Sure. : )
I was rereading a bit of this arc and I noticed that the morning this whole thing started, Ben said he hadn't slept all night, having stayed up researching... poor guy
Honestly Vee might be the only one who is fully rested. Wolfe was under the effect of a dart recently, and Sid at least had a rather late night listening to the story and left at the crack of dawn if he wasnt also up all night considering tbehy didnt seem to get to widdershins that much latter than the Grandparents and they all have had a long day. Sloth has a lot to work with here.
You can tell Ben is getting seriously exhausted because his hair is starting to fall into his eyes.
also rest in peace wolfe
Definitely Sid's page:
An object lesson in how to be charming - invite someone to talk about themself.
and
Overhears the last clue - Kate doesn't draw lightbulbs.
Healthy sleep is not slothful. Honest tiredness is not slothful. Keeping on when knackered is stupid and causes mistakes.
We don't have this sort of group structure and Wolfe's military career was perhaps too short but, for example: a good ship's captain will always have some crew asleep so that at any time there are some fully rested and alert...
The group's mistake? Keeping on for fear of seemimg slothful. Sloth has been winning; 'til now.
It will be winning until Mal is awake (woken by Harry?). And then he'll have to have time to draw a circle...
And healthy appetite is not gluttonous, but it's very unwise to eat in Gluttony's realm, because it puts one under its power.
By analogy, is it wise to sleep (it's the alternative to keeping on) in Sloth's mist as we know Sloth feeds on sleep?
On the contrary, we know from Lamplight that Sloth feeds on sleep by depriving people (in that case the guards) of their rightful sleep. If you take your rightful sleep; it's possible Wolfe is doing this right now, then YOU get the sleep you deserve and Sloth does not.
By sleeping as you should but no more, you weaken Sloth.
All the spirits are beings powered by and driven by a strong emotion. Remember, when the wizard summon them, they must be feeling the emotion strongly enough to fuel the summon. Even free of the circle, this principle holds - the stronger the presence of that emotion in the area, the stronger the spirit based of it becomes. But by that same token, the spirits are beholden to that emotion, and so they are driven to satisfy it. The best example perhaps is shown by Gluttony - Gluttony can consume regular food, but we only see it eat at the very end when it's bound into the phone. The reason is because the rest of the time it is focused on a different objective - becoming stronger by getting people to indulge in the sin, so it uses the food it has available to that end even though it's nature means it wishes to feed upon it itself. With Wrath and Greed we see this as well - Wrath demands payment in blood, but it doesn't require those under it's influence to spill blood to grow stronger. With Greed, Sid knew that he could strike a deal with it because as he put it "it's all about wanting" - he knows that the spirit is driven by the emotion that fuels it, and that aside from strengthening itself, this is it's primary motive and uses that to his advantage. Finally, a spirit merely needs resonance to feed, and the sins can exploit any crack to magnify their influence (as shown with Pride, Wrath, and Envy), this is what makes them so dangerous (imagine trying to negotiate a spell with Greed all the while all your haggling just makes it stronger).
So long story short, was does this mean vis a vis Herr Wolfe and Sloth? Sloth may be driven by a desire - in this case to sleep and rest, but it ultimately grows stronger from people indulging in the sin which fuels it. Fairbairn traded it sleep because it was bound by the summons, so the urge to grow could not be acted on, so it satisfied itself by seeking to satisfy the emotion that fuels it (by taking the sleep). Now free, it can act for itself, and so like the other sins, it exploits cracks to influence and feed upon those nearby. Hence, Wolfe's sleeping makes it stronger, and it matters little how well-earned the rest is.
Fun fact - other interpretations of Sloth include wasting time, apathy (especially emotional, ie not caring about the consequences of actions), and wasting potential in general, so that might also explain why it settled for sleep, it was simply too lazy to bother trying to negotiate something more advantageous. It may not be stupid, but it is lazy.
Well reasoned but I still think the basic premise is wrong. Ben, the least rested, is making a huge mistake, lazy thinking if you like but more reasonably, brain-fogged,, in pressing on into exhaustion.
I reckon Wolfe may have just dropped out of Sloth's influence by taking a much needed nap.
If he takes it for himself, maybe. But the "guests" of the Hotel Gula were eating regularly and only grew thinner because Gluttony took their energy in the process.
And about Sloth's influence, we see now that Wolfe's silhouette is surrounded by three curls of Sloth's mist as if he's wrapped by a snake.
...or is Sloth's mist closing on the void left behind as he slips out of reach?
Either way: Next panel soon :-)
Our intrepid heroes defeat the villain by boldly falling asleep!
Reading that it seems to lack a certain dramatic flair, so I suspect that is not going to be the final answer. One way or the other we'll find out soon.
Hey, don't knock a decent plot-twist.
And after discussing the narrative importance of dramatic flair I just won a Star Wars video game by boldly running away.
My budding Dark Lord of the Sith spent the entire game devastating entire armies of enemies with his dark side force powers only to have the final fight be a solo light saber duel with an opponent who was massively resistant to force powers. After several reloads proved that light sabers worked better than force powers but not enough better to matter I finally ran in circles around the massive room where the fight was taking place, periodically setting the most powerful anti personnel mines I had on me. The final boss always chased me by the most direct route, even when it went right through my impromptu mine fields. By the time I stopped running the mines had killed him for me, so I won the fight without even laying a finger on him.
On the one hand it felt a little like cheating. On the other hand, cheating seemed totally in character for my now triumphant Dark Lord of the Sith, particularly since there were no witnesses to contradict him later when he lied (of course) about the epic light saber duel in which he totally destroyed his predecessor.
But was Gula bound in Piece of Cake? I mean it was bound by Izzy's spell like all the sins save Luxuia, but I don't think it was summoned and tied to a contract like Sloth in No Rest for the Wicked and Greed in Sleight of Hand.
He and Sid discussed it a moment earlier, but if they give up or look for an easier way, then Sloth wins and will gain influence over them. Furthermore, it's not like they have another option between pressing on or giving up. So even though Ben is exhausted, the simple fact that he's fighting that exhaustion is keeping Sloth from getting a hold on him. Wolfe meanwhile, was perfectly rested having taken an unintentional nap in the fight against Gluttony, and wasn't remotely tired during and after the fight with Pride, so he has definitely fallen under the influence of Sloth.
Edit: To add on and clarify, remember that in the encounter with Envy the spirit was able to induce the desired state in it's target before taking control and feeding (Envy cajoled Ben to trigger his inferiority complex), and prior to that Gluttony was able to induce the desired state by infusing food with it's own power, allowing it to affect even people who were not hungry, gluttonous, or interested in eating in any way. This is likely what's happened here - Sloth has infused the very fog with itself, allowing it to make people sleepy regardless of how tired they actually are. As for why Ben and Vi appear not to be affected, I would have to guess it's because they are the ones most actively fighting it (Wolfe has clearly underestimated Sloth, and Sid doesn't focus well at all).
Anaesthetic sleep is not restful. Almost always it's 24 hours or more before you're over it and much of thet time you're dozing.
Just because two characters discuss something it doesn't mean they're right.
Sid just failed !
Oh no !
Yikes! I thought at first Wolfe had just collapsed to the ground, but there's a little dark silhouette visible next to Sid in the last panel. It looks like he's either been sucked into the Sloth Mist somehow, or just stopped walking and fallen behind, which probably has the same effect.
Also, I'm not sure which is my favorite Vee line on this page: "You've a gift for yammering. Use it!" or "Honestly, do you really think I don't know when you're lying?" I love it when she goes all protective on Ben.
Good catch on the shadow.
"Sidney"?
Is Vee loosening up?
[http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/august-22nd-2017/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/august-22nd-2017/")
Fourth panel :)
Getting a tired person to stay mentally active by asking them to talk is a good strategy and Mr Malik asked the right question. Unfortunately he didn't then shut up to allow Herr Wolfe to actually do any talking and so, it's 'sweet dreams Heinrich!'
I know that feel, Ben. "It's fine. I only got 3 hours of sleep, but I need this project to be finished. So I'll make it be fine."
What really gets me is the way Ben talks over Verity and pulls away from her as he says those lines, like he thinks if he lets her be concerned about him he won't be.
Sid's wide awake in that last panel. Nothing like a surge of fear and adrenalin to drive away any desire to be lazy.
Maybe they can defeat sloth this way. Summon up Fear.
So I wonder who will wind up facing down the remaining sins.
I think the match-ups will probably fall along the lines as follows:
Vi and Ben vs Lux with Wolfe and Sid falling to his influence
Vi and Wolfe vs Greed with Ben and Sid falling to his influence
Vi and Sid vs Sloth with Ben being the other to fall with Wolfe
Thoughts?
My first thought is that I like your avatar.
As for your picks, I'm torn on Sloth because while I like your picks I am also attached to the idea that Ben will be the one to stand firm. Partly because I like the symmetry of the idea, and partly because I feel like the narrative is building towards Ben overcoming his insecurities and this would be the perfect place for him to do so. Same thing symmetry wise with Sid and Greed. Otherwise I like your pics for there, although I could see Vee also being susceptible. Although you could also argue that what she wants isn't money but respect and admiration, although you could argue that is a type of Greed as well.
Lux I would totally agree with you on, but at the same time I very much suspect that the fact that he was watching them depart the anchor but hasn't intervened and that he wasn't on the map like his fellow sins were means that his encounter with our team isn't going to follow the same rules as the others. My theory is that he's going to wait till the other witches are present and then show up to do something that allows him to take control of all of the anchors, in which case Mal will be impervious and Harry will fall.
Why thank y- gets trapped in mirror
Joking about the avatars aside, I should probably explain my reasoning a bit more:
With Lux, yeah, that assumes he sticks around for the others to fight directly, but I assumed he would as he has no reason to go into the anchor himself with Mal and Harry there, it would only make desummoning him easier. My suspicions as to what he is planning involves the mystery of Mr. Dumontefort, but again it's conjecture. So if he does stay in Widdershins, then Wolfe and Sid would be the most susceptible to his influence due to their penchant for distraction.
Regarding Greed, none of them had an especially greedy nature, with the possible exception of Ben. Seeking fame and admiration is more prideful than greed (greed is almost always regarded as strictly material), but Vi also seems the type unlikely to turn down a shot at a prize, so that could give Greed a hold as well. Ben has miserly tendencies, and Sid is readily distracted by shiny stuff. Wolfe though is completely unlikely to fall. So the reasoning behind this one was that Wolfe and Vi and Wolfe and Sid haven't really paired up, and Wolfe and Vi perhaps might provide for a better interaction if the thing with Ben isn't resolved in the Sloth fight, speaking of which ...
While it seems likely Sid may fall to Sloth's influence, his chattering seems to be staving it off for now. Ben though is exhausted, and at low-ebb emotionally. Sloth is often associated with despair, so as it is he definitely the most vulnerable to it's influence. If it comes down to Ben and Vi in the Lust fight, then that would make a somewhat better opportunity to resolve the issue than it would do so in the Sloth fight. In addition, we haven't really had a chance for Sid and Vi to bond much now that she's warmed up a little. The fight against Sloth makes the most sense to force them to work together.
So long story short, I made these predictions based on the character interactions I thought would be most likely to result. However, in considering this, another possibility might be Wolfe and Sid having to team up against Greed, in which case it is good I do not own property in Widdershins...
=== With Lux, yeah, that assumes he sticks around for the others to fight directly, but I assumed he would as he has no reason to go into the anchor himself with Mal and Harry there, it would only make desummoning him easier. ===
Just one thought: It can draw some circle around the Ancor, perhaps. Without entering it.
If it has to be a human to draw a circle - a) it can take a human form, b) there is Acedia for this case too.
Wait, Ben is miserly? What?
Ben: And besides, I'm not being cheap! Just... frugal.
Mal: Even I know that's just a posher word fer the same thing.
:) Well, I don't think Mal had a right to reproach Ben for this as he had the business to run and had to count money Mal himself live on. And "no wage" part didn't help at all.
Sorry, "frugal" I meant frugal! ;)
More specifically, he's the most concerned with finances of the three Malform busters
Ok, thank you, to me there's quite a difference between "miserly" and "frugal"! I guess that Ben is prone to cautiousness in general and being frugal is part of that, considering that their business hasn't done well financially (yet). I don't think just being frugal is a sure sign of greed in general. But, now that he has lost everything and is in debt, that might give Greed something to play on, all right. : P
Remember, the Deadlies use any crack to their advantage. So even plain frugality is enough for Greed to work with.
Tired he may be, but what Ben's perservering. One must remember that Sloth's opposite is not energeticness; it's diligence. That drive to keep on going until you've achieved what you've se out to do, and to do so properly. Ben is perfect for this.
A good thing it came fter Pride, or he might have recognised that he's not totally useless after all.