Sloth

Sloth was, as usual, doing nothing of significance. It was Monday morning, but she was holed up in her bedroom playing online games, indifferent to the start of the week. Why would she care? She had no job. As the embodiment of the sin of Sloth, she’d been handed thousands of dollars when she was created. Work wasn't meant for her. But today, her typical lethargy was mixed with irritation. A new neighbor was moving into the apartment next to hers, and the constant thudding of boxes, scraping of furniture, and footsteps back and forth grated on her nerves, disrupting her gameplay. Each noise pulled her focus away from the screen, and soon she was dying in-game, losing again and again. Frustrated, she began taking it out on the other players, sending angry messages and insults about how badly they sucked.

Eventually, though, the irritation proved too much, and she ragequit. Sighing heavily, she wandered into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of cola, and shuffled back to her bedroom. The noise of the moving was still going on, a persistent buzz that gnawed at her even through the walls. With a huff, she popped open the bottle and settled down to watch a movie, cranking the volume up in a feeble attempt to drown out the racket next door. It helped, but only slightly. She could still hear the occasional thump, though it was now bearable.

After what felt like an eternity, the noise finally stopped. Sloth exhaled in relief—peace at last. But just as she began to relax, there was a knock at the door. Her mood soured instantly. "You've got to be kidding me..." she muttered under her breath. It was probably the new neighbor, eager to make introductions. Sloth tried ignoring it, but the knocking persisted, growing more insistent. With a groan, she paused her movie, dragging herself off her chair and toward the door, her steps slow and heavy. She twisted the lock lazily and cracked the door open, revealing the form of Magnolia.*

“Ugh, what do you want?” she mumbled, her tone dripping with annoyance. “I’m in the middle of something important, so make it quick, for god's sake.