Both Nero and Vergil share that pursuit of power, with Vergil having it be his driving force in life and Nero literally hearing a voice telling him he needs more power once his devil arm activates.
The difference between them is the core reason as to why they pursue power.
Vergil pursues power because he wants to eliminate any weakness within him after the demons attacked him as a child. He feels that he is the only one he can rely on and because his weakness is why he can't protect himself. It's a selfish pursuit, something he acknowledges during his time as V.
Nero pursues power because he wants to be able to protect the people he cares about. "I will endure the exile, anything to protect her" (DMC4) and "I couldn't protect Credo, to this day I still hate myself for not having enough strength" (DMC5). It's a selfless pursuit, something that stems from his own selfless nature.
HATE ME SOON, a silverdyne and kerry eurodyne/v fic, 5.7k words, rated e
summary: V finds a recording of the Samurai reunion and doesn’t like what he sees. Johnny won’t admit to anything, so he figures he’ll prove a point.
tags: nsft, antagonistic johnny & v, jealousy, possessive behavior, dirty talk, voyeurism
you're not looking for friends: that's what you've been telling yourself for the past two weeks. same time, same place, same coffee shop, with the hustle and bustle of lives well lived. well loved. worn down like the spine of a favorite book, and crinkling at the edges— it's comfortable. or, at least, you think it's comfortable, and that's all that matters. never mind the fact that there's a patron who knows their shit, never mind that he's quoted enough philosophy at you to crack open the sides of your facade. it's no one else's business. in fact, you could call it a hobby, and that's all it'll ever be.
"did you just quote machiavelli at me?" — @spencsreid.
that's the second part of what you're telling yourself, after all, and it doesn't matter that your sloped-up smile doesn't quite match. whatever. in this moment, it's nice, and it's a good pairing for a cup of tea that spins over a coaster and back into your palm. "only if you recognized it." you say, light, and flicker your stare back towards the opening of the coffee shop: yawning its mouth wide open as another patron enters, one leaves, and you count the bodies back down. hyper-vigilance, you know, might as well be second nature. your gaze swings back. "if not, th — then we can just call it my contribution to the conversation for the day."
in stars and time having the repeated line (You breathe in, and out.) has done wonders for my mental state. like i never really saw the importance of breathing exercises, but having learned a way helps center me when stress is high and keeps things stable otherwise
not only bc of the breathing itself but also bc it gives me a specific thought to hone in on instead of whatever's making me worry!
i actually made the line my status on discord, and one of my friends mentioned it helped them remember to do it too?
Ptolemaea, one of the several regions of Cocytus, the frozen lake in the ninth and lowest circle of Hell and the lake is divided into four concentric rings of traitors corresponding, in order of seriousness, to betrayal of family ties, betrayal of community ties, betrayal of guests and betrayal of lords, in the circle of Treachery, Ptolemaea is where those traitors who have betrayed their guests and those with whom they had special relationships with, linger on in frigid agony, lying supine in the ice while their tears freeze in their eye sockets, sealing them with small visors of crystal with even the comfort of weeping is denied to them, and their whole bodies up to their neck are covered in ice so they are forced to devour other traitors in the realm of Ptolemaea.
ptolemaea - ethel cain / @mothercain. / gangsta. - kohske. / divine comedy; inferno - dante aligheri.
"I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. Loyal in what way? Maverick is a friend, but loyalty is a heavy topic to just ask like this. Is something-.. Is there something I should know?"
@rcgrator: " were you ever going to tell me the truth ? " / aldnwkskw
His hands still over the concoction he's in the middle of brewing - the only outward reaction to the question now posed to him. An amber gaze slides, quickly, to the magenta one peering back at him from the table, and he registers the flash of concern within eyes that had once been his.
He knew this moment would come. He'd been expecting it, honestly. Why else had his absent brother returned to the region of his birth after so long spent avoiding it? The reach of the Fatui was seemingly endless. There was no doubt that Pantalone had heard of his quest and learned the truth about the contract he was bound to.
With a brief exhale of breath, he resumes the stirring of the liquid, and lifts his gaze to the doorway where his elder brother lingers like a shadow. They couldn't be more different, the two of them. Sometimes, it seems to the doctor that there is nothing left of the two young boys that were once nigh inseparable.
"You never asked."
His hands continue their task, adding finely ground ingredients together, adjusting the flame that heats the container from beneath. It helps to ground him, to keep him calm.
He is not angry with his brother - perhaps he never can be, perhaps that is his weakness. But for all that Pantalone claims he abandoned him, who was it that fled Liyue, never to return? Yes, his brother helps to fund the pharmacy, and no doubt the Fatui of Northland Bank send updates back to Snezhnaya - perhaps that is even how he heard of his mission, of his contract. But he has not tried to contact him directly. Who, then, was truly abandoned in favour of their ambition?
"Frankly, I'm rather surprised this seems to matter to you." He's feeling bold, today. They are more alike than one might think to look at them, physical similarities aside. Baizhu can be equally as stubborn, and as proud. "You have made it abundantly clear that you care nothing for how I live my life."
I feel like the way people view Anakin Skywalker and their opinion of him change whether they think Anakin and Darth Vader are the same or different people.
Like it is stated that Vader killed Anakin, however, Anakin also has Vader moments before the end of revenge of the sith. There is also the idea that it was Anakin's destiny to turn into Vader, and that is the only way to bring balance to the force. But also Anakin was also manipulated and gaslit by not only the sith but the Jedi. Also depends if you have seen the clone wars and know all the extended law and shit.
i am really hoping this entire chapter will be a wake up call for mall/eus. obviously we have yet to see everything-- but his ob seems starkly different. like he is mostly himself, and very aware of what he's doing. he is lashing out, because for one of the first times ever, something is completely beyond his control. we know he threw massive tantrums as a child; he set things on fire, he froze stuff. this is just on a much larger scale-- because he's older, and stronger. and while he has tempered himself and his magic a lot, he's not perfect.
and it's funny too, because he's viewed as cold and unapproachable. but i really do feel like he is driven 100000% by his emotions. and while him joining nrc was a sweet idea offered by lilia-- he has always been a ticking time bomb. because instead of addressing his behavior, it's kind of just been put under a blanket.
( @hauntrcss ) batphone voicemail: “i didn’t think i’d still be alive by now. i’m not really sure what to do now that i am.”
Although he doesn’t say it out loud, Bruce knows exactly how she feels. How many nights had he spent wondering why he’s still here, alive ( by dictionary definition ), when his parents had unfairly breathed their last? However, they can’t let it consume them, least of all rule them. “You dedicate your life to a cause and you make sure that the world never wrongs anyone else in the way that you feel it has wronged you.”
as ive been rereading the clique thru my library's ebook system ive been thinking abt possible parallels + compare/contrast points between this series and cheetah girls and a huuuuge one just jumped out at me : the fact that massie & galleria both have main love interests named derrick/derek. derrick harrington aka derrington in the clique & derek ulysses hambone aka 'mr duh' in tcg