ENVY

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Envy is the ulcer of the soul. --Socrates (469 BC - 399 BC)

They envy the distinction I have won; let them therefore envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it. --Sallust (86 BC - 34 BC)

Jealousy is all the fun you think they had. --Erica Jong, Fear of Flying, 1973

Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo. --H. G. Wells, The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman, 1914

O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on. --William Shakespeare, Othello

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A couple thoughts on Spencer seeing as this is his first introduction.

Spencer is another Librarian (a former book character animated courtesy of the Library's enchantment) who oversees the Library's finances because, frankly, it became painful for him to watch the others flailing around with the numbers.

Spencer has a very clear vision of how the world should be ordered for maximum efficiency and becomes extremely irritated with the idiot cows he feels much of humanity insists on remaining instead. He is a very serious person, extraordinarily critical of others (usually tactful enough to not show this... too much), and, above all, manipulative.

A great many people look up to Spencer, who see him as a mentor, a guide, and a friend, a shoulder when there's no one else you'd cry in front of, a pair of clever hands which will untangle the nastiest situation, and a fount of reason and logic in an ugly world. For his part, Spencer treats friendship like husbandry, devoting time and care in the expectation of a return and never forgetting the animals were intended for slaughter from the start.

Spencer was a much nicer guy when he was just letters on a page. Part of the reason why he's become so short with everyone and everything is because he was formerly a stage magician who now finds himself in a world where magic is real, commonplace, and he can't use it. Spencer's a first-rate magician, he makes things vanish, blend, blur, go *poof*, and reappear behind your ear, but it's all sleight of hand which, I cannot stress enough, is SIGNIFICANTLY more tricky and intellectual than what many Networkers are capable of doing using the real thing. It's the difference between an electrical engineer and the person who just flicks the light switch on. What's turned him sour is being belittled by morons like Vra'kriss who has a brain like a ping-pong ball but can summon fireballs and lightning and thinks pulling Myxi out of a hat is just precious.

He is the primary antagonist of the Library storyline versus Benjamin and Rebecca. As a character he's designed in direct opposition to Ben, whom he thinks is a lazy imbecile from a primitive society, silly but unfortunately armed with a large sword and the loyalty of most of the Librarians. Spencer has bigger and better things in mind for the Altalamatox Library than just a petty public library and will use his not inconsiderable guile to rot the Librarians' opinions of their current management. He also feeds inside info to the parties which have been calling for the Library's shutdown/nationalization since day one. Like all cancers, the earlier he can be detected the better the chances of survival.

On the balance, Spencer cares quite a lot for his rabbit Myxi, who is oddly intelligent for a bunny, and I intend to give him an honest love interest to morally impede my desire to see his head stamped flat. He's still a performer at heart and forgets how much it pleases him to thrill and mystify an audience. He is fairly witty, sometimes outright funny, occasionally friendly. He wasn't always a bucket of slime and if the story turns in such a way he can redeem himself I'll leave that door open to him. I suspect he's going to do something damning before then, however, if he hasn't already. Actively working to unravel the lives of my core Librarians is probably not a good way to commend yourself to me.

At the end of the day, Spencer never really clicked with the other Librarians. Ben, Becca, Charles, Jackie, Alan, Shad, even Vra'kriss and Neridia are like a big funny family. Spencer wouldn't admit it to himself but he envies them this. Since we're all about envy here, Spencer can hardly deal with any of the Librarians without dreaming about what he'd pluck from them had he the means: Rebecca's strength of will, Ben's charisma, Kriss' power, Jackie's youth, and Charles' knowledge. He respects their virtues more than he respects them as people. He feels his bowl has been mostly filled with ash, and, while he knows he's blessed with quick hands and a quicker mind, wishes for many traits he bitterly believes he can never obtain, only covet from a distance.

By the way, I loved stage magicians as a kid and I still do. Spencer was a magician looong before he was the bad guy (now I laugh that he's got the perfect hat and 'stache for classic villainy).

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<sub>I know I polled on this a few months back but I'd find it interesting (and my characters heartening) if you'd give a shout out on the page of the deadly sin(s) you are most guilty of.

Probably none of us are strangers to the green-eyed monster here on dA, but if jealousy plagues you more than most this is your page!</sub>

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_{---Pick Yer Poison----------
Pride
Gluttony
Greed
Wrath
Envy
Acedia
Lust}