Disclaimer: I don't own The King's Avatar or any of its characters.
Title: say, tell me which evil you are committing today?
Summary: She makes it so easy for them to fall into temptation. Always-a-girl!Ye Xiu
Rating: K+
Warnings: Potential spoilers for the novel
Author's Notes: I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed and like my previous King's Avatar fic. Your support is much appreciated! I always had a mind to write something about the Seven Deadly Sins and I hoped it worked. All definitions were retrieved from Wikipedia.

Pride – having a high opinion of oneself, feeling one is more important or superior to others

It was an open secret in the Glory community that many players held strong affection for Ye Qiu. But it was lesser known that Liu Hao was one of them.

He, like many others, openly admired her skill and Liu Hao wasted no time to flashily demonstrate his own talent and prowess to catch her eye. He boldly asked her for a date one day. After all, Liu Hao was her teammate. He had a far better chance with Ye Qiu than with those other scuttling players, seeing and interacting with her on a daily basis.

But to his shock, Ye Qiu simply looked at him and dared to laugh at him. She even had the nerve to tell him to ask her again in a hundred years. Other Excellent Era members, having heard his confession, chuckled and snickered at his expense. His face burned with humiliation as he left in a hurry to save some face.

Just why was Ye Qiu not interested in him? Liu Hao could not conceive the thought that she would consider him below other men. He seethed for a long time, finding that his resentfulness towards Ye Qiu outgrew his affection for her.

Liu Hao believed he was most certainly a better match for Ye Qiu compared to other pro players. He had better features than Han Wenqing's staunch expression and Wang Jiexi's mismatched eyes. He maintained a faster APM than Yu Wenzhou and he was not an excessive talker like Huang Shaotian. Surely, he must be more favourable than the timid Zhou Zekai who could hardly speak a full sentence.

To his disgust, it must be because Ye Qiu actually liked someone, most likely from an opposing team. How unacceptable!

And so, he began to scheme with Excellent Era's managers to enact the ploy to force Ye Qiu to retire. It was partly out of petty bitterness, but he did not care.

Ye Qiu wounded his pride and Liu Hao would not forgive her so easily.

~.~.~

Greed – a longing to possess something more than one needs

Huang Shaotian was not someone one would call avaricious. He was genuinely satisfied with what he got and was content with his lot. He would rarely make demands to increase his pay or make requests to boost his popularity.

However, when it came to Ye Qiu, he wanted everything.

He wanted the soft smile on her face, not one of her smug smirks or her mischievous grins. It was rare to see and he had been lucky to catch a glimpse of it one day and he would do anything to see it again.

He wanted her laughter, the kind where she allowed herself to be unrestrained and free of control. Her eyes crinkled in mirth and her cheeks glowed and he couldn't help but fall even more.

He wanted the passion and the gleam of a challenge sparking in her eyes when she immersed herself into Glory. He wanted the way she craved for victory and triumph and how she stepped forward into the light to demand it all, like she was born to.

He wanted every teasing remark that passed her sharp tongue, driving him to infuriating levels. He wanted all her words, the mischief, the mockery, the taunting. He wanted her quieter, melancholic tones when she revealed a miniscule detail about her past.

He wanted her lips, untouched and so inviting. He watched her tap a slim finger to her mouth, pondering her next strategy, a tantalizing fingertip drawing across the soft arch of her mouth. He never wanted something so much than to claim those lips and make them his and his alone.

Huang Shaotian felt that after everything, he was allowed to be greedy for once.

~.~.~

Sloth – a lack of desire to do work or the act of wasting potential

" Ye Qiu."

Those two words took Zhou Zekai an enormous amount of effort. But it was worth it to see her turn around to look at him.

A smile played across her mouth, the same mischievous one that many pro players had warned him about. He almost stopped breathing right then and there at the sight of it. " I'm surprised you were able to say my name," she teased.

Voice caught in his throat, Zhou Zekai could only mutely nod. It was too much for him to verbally respond.

She tilted her head at him curiously. He thought this might be the closest he had ever been to her. She was close enough to smell the acidic cigarette smoke on her jacket. " Need something?" she asked.

This was his chance, the opportunity he had been waiting and dreaming about. The hallway was coincidentally empty and devoid of any watching eye. It was just him and her.

" I ..."

The words wouldn't come. They were tied up between his tongue and throat. Zhou Zekai could feel the dryness of his mouth as he opened it and closed it like a gulping fish. Why did speaking take so much effort?

Ye Qiu patiently waited. It only made him more flustered and mortified.

" I ..."

I like you. I want to go out with you. I want to know you better. I want to spend more time with you.

" I ... will meet you on stage."

It was anticlimactic and unsatisfactory but Zhou Zekai could not bear to say anything else.

There was a faint glimmer of disappointment in Ye Qiu's eyes and he could only helplessly and despairingly wondered what it meant.

~.~.~

Lust – a strong desire and obsession for a person or object

Ye Qiu's hands were perhaps the most beautiful thing about her (not that it had stopped Wang Jiexi from admiring everything else about her).

Her hands were surprisingly dainty and well-kept, with pale and smooth skin. It was to be expected of a pianist.

Wang Jiexi had the honour of catching Ye Qiu playing the piano one day. Her fingers skimmed across the keys so fluidly and beautifully that it was almost a blur. He was entirely transfixed and mesmerized by the music her hands were able to procure.

Her fingers was able to tell a thousand stories and yet only speak of one grand tale. They could destroy armies and claim championships. They could weave together galaxies and shake the very earth to its core.

And when the piano trilled its final note and Ye Qiu's fingers reluctantly removed themselves from the piano, Wang Jiexi wished for nothing more than for another song.

It took perfect self-control not to march up to Ye Qiu that very instant and kiss each fingertip.

Those same hands was the reason for the defeat of many in battle, whether in individual round or group round. For something so gentle and soft and delicate, Ye Qiu's hands led to the defeat and destruction of several, mercilessly crushing and burning dreams and hopes to ash.

Such juxtaposition was inconceivable and breathtaking. Whether through the piano or by keyboard, Ye Qiu could ensnare him, mind, body and soul.

He wondered what it would be like to feel her hands brush lightly against his cheek. He wondered what song her hands could intone and serenade across his skin, from the depth of his neck, the ends of each eyelash and the curve of his lips.

Only Ye Qiu was able to drive him mad with obsession.

~.~.~

Wrath – a hostile and hateful reaction towards a perceived provocation or threat

There were not many things that could anger Yu Wenzhou. He had always been patient and slow to anger, always willing to listen to the other before rashly jumping to conclusions.

However, the sight of Ye Qiu being roughly grabbed by a security guard made him see red.

" Who are you and what are you doing back here?" the guard rudely demanded, not realizing who Ye Qiu was.

There was surprise and confusion across Ye Qiu's face and she appeared to wonder if this was some prank. She opened her mouth to explain that she was in fact a pro player and it was part of her job to be here when the guard started dragging her off before she could even reply. " No unauthorized entry is allowed!" he snapped, nearly causing her to fall as he gave her a violent shake.

At this, Yu Wenzhou could not keep silent. " Let go of her," he sternly said. The finality and coldness of his voice made both Ye Qiu and the guard realize he was there.

" This girl is trespassing, Yu Wenzhou," the guard explained. His previous impolite tone became respectful and it simply grated Yu Wenzhou further. " She could be here to cause trouble."

Yes, Ye Qiu had a knack for causing trouble for all of them, he inwardly agreed. A part of him wanted to venomously reveal who the guard was about to kick out. But self-control and Ye Qiu's pointed look prevailed and tempered his fury. (besides he already took note of the guard's name and badge number and would report him to his superiors by the end of the night)

" I invited her as my guest," Yu Wenzhou said instead. " She will be staying with me."

Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The guard finally released her arm but it did not stop Yu Wenzhou from glaring at him until the guard finally left.

" Remind me not to get on your bad side," Ye Qiu casually remarked with an audible relieved sigh. " And you should unclench your hands. Don't want to ruin those slow, pretty fingers of yours."

He had not realize his hands were balled into fists in the first place.

~.~.~

Gluttony – an overindulgence and over-consumption of food, drink or object

Glory was the one thing that Han Wenqing had dedicated his life to. It had consumed him the last ten years and he intended to continue for several more if possible.

And part of it was because Ye Qiu was there to feed his ravenous fixation.

She was there from the beginning, sparking a rivalry that had lasted generations. People spoke in hushed tones when speaking of their competitive relationship that might have eventually crossed the line into camaraderie, friendship and perhaps something more.

She challenged him, pushed him past his limits, drew him further down the rabbit hole of Glory. With every match, every championship, Han Wenqing longed for more. She was the only one who could satisfy his hunger. None of the other players and teams came close to renewing the fire that Ye Qiu so easily lit.

He never wanted this to end.

Then, everything came crashing to a sudden halt with the news of her retirement.

Right after, Han Wenqing went into the gym and did not leave the room for almost twenty-four hours. Nowadays, he mostly stayed there, aside when he had to leave to practice and to compete in fights.

The rest of the Tyranny team wisely avoided the gym for the rest of the week.

He couldn't sleep. He did not want to eat. Playing Glory no longer had the same appeal. The world appeared greyer and colder, less interesting.

When Zhang Xinjie showed him the recordings of Lord Grim, Han Wenqing did not dare place too much hope in who it was. If it really was Ye Qiu, there were many things he wanted to say to her.

" Coward!" was what he snarled at her in the end, when he fought Lord Grim in person and discovered who it really was (he couldn't have felt more alive again). " What are you still doing here?"

" A retired person can't play games?" Ye Qiu shot back and Han Wenqing could not help but grin at her audacity.

He could feel the fire drumming through his blood, the sweat itching his palms, the way his breath hitched. The hunger singing in his veins was sated and calmed, now that he knew Ye Qiu had returned.

~.~.~

Envy – wishing for traits, possessions or achievements that belong to others

Sun Xiang harboured nothing but sheer animosity against other pro players. All because they had something he did not.

He disliked the way Huang Shaotian threw his arm around Ye Qiu, pulling her far closer towards him than he would like. Huang Shaotian was the most openly affectionate when it came to Ye Qiu, clinging to her arm, patting her shoulder, leaning against her back. It was unfair that Huang Shaotian could initiate such close physical contact with Ye Qiu and that she would allow him to do so. He longed for that kind of proximity with Ye Qiu.

He bristled at how Han Wenqing leaned over Ye Qiu's shoulder, so casually and easily intruding into her space. It was evident that Ye Qiu was quite comfortable in his presence, even leaning back enough to brush her shoulder against Han Wenqing's arm. There was an unspoken intimacy between the last of Glory's first generation and something only the two of them would understand. He wondered if he could even get a speck of that kind of relationship with her.

He grimaced whenever he heard Yu Wenzhou speaking with Ye Qiu, deep in conversation about Glory, tactics and character classes. Ye Qiu's eyes sparked with strong interest at every word that Yu Wenzhou uttered and it was undeniable how animated and passionate she was becoming the longer they spoke. The two tacticians were lost in their own world, discussing things only they could comprehend. He craved to have that immense knowledge of Glory so he could talk to her like that.

Sun Xiang could not help but despise those men because he knew Ye Qiu would not act as favourably towards him due to him taking her One Autumn Leaf and the past tense history with Excellent Era. He had seen the way she looked at him (the logical part of him reasoned he was over-thinking it, imagining it), with an aloof coolness that burned him to the core.

He could not help but be envious of them for what he could never have with Ye Qiu.