Evil is as Evil does...

The path to Hell is paved with good intentions. It's lined with pretty flowers and bricks made of gold. All the nice things, leadin' to all the bad. We've got words laced with ribbons of hope and generosity, wilting away as soon as the opportunity presents itself. What you say and what you do become two different entities. Two different beings not even trying to coexist...

Trust me, I know all about duality...

Water and oil, fire and ice... it's all the same. Words and actions rarely mix. Sure, the simple things... I'm going to clean the bathroom today.... and ya do it! Congratulations, achievement unlocked-- clean toilet. But it's not... it's not the idea of doing chores, or making promises. That ain't where this whole B.S lies. It delves deeper than that. It's in those ribbons; all goodness, all passion, all light. In a thin, fragile piece of fabric...

Always torn into smaller pieces...

Hope is withered away when ya realize that who you are doesn't mean a damn thing. You could be the president. You could be a celebrity. You could be a frickin' philosopher. We all end up in the dirt. But before we're covered in worms, we're taught that our actions define us. Leave a lasting image on the world before you're buried in it's crust.

And so you say you love everyone. So you say you strive for peace. So you say you support everyone's rights. And of course, you're all for loyalty. You claim you'll change the world. You claim everyone will know who you are. You claim... things will be different when you get a hold of them. You... claim... you're different... a messiah, so to speak. Who wants the world on their knees, who wants to change it in his name. Who wants... every freakin' thing to go his way...

... and it probably will...

♫ If I'm a pagan of the good times, my lover's the sunlight. To keep the Goddess on my side, she demands a sacrifice...♫

'I don't wanna do this...'

If there was one thing that I could change about myself... if there was one thing I could gain, putting aside super powers and all that... if..... if there was one quality that I could wake up tomorrow with... it would be motivation. I want that feeling that everyone gets... the one that tells them to progress. To move forward in their lives... their jobs, their relationships... their... their everything.

I don't have that...

How many times have I said it? How many times have I gone on a rant about it? How no matter matter what happens... no matter what I do or who I'm with... I never feel fulfilled. No matter what... there's always a side of me that says that I have absolutely no reason to be alive. And I'm not suicidal. I don't think I'm depressed. I have a good life. A job I enjoy... friends I can count on. And my future is secured.

Maybe the Queen is trying to tear me down. Ha... or maybe it isn't her. Maybe it's me and me alone... that doesn't care. I... once again... I won. I proved myself to be... to be someone who can... what? Who can get someone's shoulders to the mat for a 3 count? What is that worth? What does that prove? What... fuck... what's wrong with me?

"I'm doing it again..."

Indeed you are...

My alter ego, the Queen, responded out of nowhere. I blinked, not even startled whenever she presented herself in my mind. "Queeny..."

You are alone.

"...I'm alone."

Silence fell again. There were no wise cracks from the Queen. There were no nasty comments from me. Two souls, as a man I once knew claimed us to be, sitting peacefully underneath a tree in Lincoln, Nebraska. Where exactly didn't really matter. But at least I'd remembered to get dressed this time. Usually during one of my... episodes... I ended up in public somewhere, half naked. My mind didn't work as it should during these times.

That was made quite obvious by the way you are not making preparations for-

"For what?" I murmured, speaking aloud to the Queen. No one was around, so it didn't really matter. "For yet another battle with that douchebag Casanova English? What is this, number 246?! Fuck him. Fuck this match."

Are you afraid that he will try to drag me out once more?

"I don't even care anymore. You can take over if you want..." I mumbled, dragging my knees up under my chin and staring into space. A shiver ran through me as the cold wind blew, but I shook it away as Queeny seemed to ponder what I'd said...

You are... what? Giving in?

"Mhm. Why not?"

That does not seem like you.

"Maybe it's you and I'm the one locked in my mind. Or maybe I have another person in my head, OooOooo..." I wiggled my fingers dramatically in the air, and I could practically feel the Queen roll her eyes.

While taking over at this moment... could be done with ease. I have a certain code that I live by. To obtain victory by the means of a white flag... it is not worth it. I have pride. I have honor. I shall not win simply because you accept losing!

"Mmhm. Why not?"

I already noted why. Pride.

Burying my face into my knees for a moment, I took in a deep breath and moved out of the upright fetal position I was in, "Looks like we have more in common than I thought, Queeny....."






"Where the hell is she?"

Andy Wilde's voice echoed within the forested park that she and Jessica Brennan were strolling through. The sky was a dreary gray, the trees bare and ground icy. Though Andy liked the cold weather more, as it was easier to breathe in... she definitely didn't like that her friend had disappeared from their hotel room without a jacket or her phone. Nothing.

Jessi claimed that V had a habit of doing this... an episode caused by her bipolar, that made her freak out... and instead of being holed up somewhere in a moodset where she could potentially be dangerous, Nessa would run off to some kind of wooded, secluded area. Hide away. Deal with everything she was going through....

Alone.

"I hate this..." Wilde scowled slightly, grinding her teeth. She was worried. Scared, even. Andy knew her feelings. She didn't really admit them much to anyone, but they were there... and every inch of her wanted to protect V. To make her happy, somehow.

Without a response from the smaller girl, Andy glanced over at Jessi. The small British girl's cheeks were a rosy red, as she rubbed her hands together and glanced around worriedly. Feeling someone's eyes on her, Brennan peeked up at Wilde awkwardly. "W-Why're you l-looking at me?"

"...well I'm sure as hell not checking you out. Wayy too small."

"W-what?!"

"Not enough ass. Sorry 'bout it."

"I... I..." Jessi paused, before sticking her lower lip out. "N-Nessa says I have a c-cute one though..."

"Yeah but V has that boom boom pow. All bass, no treble. Mhm."

"....uhm."

They just stared at each other for a second, before staring forward again silently. Walking along the path again, Andy began again, "... look at what English is doing to her..."

"I-I don't think it's n-necessarily just h-him..."

"Why wouldn't it be? All he does it cause her pain. I'm gonna kick his ass." Andy growled, as Jessi frowned and put an arm on her shoulder.

"Sometimes... p-people have things inside of them th-that go wayy d-deeper than just someone who's b-bothering them. English is j-just a man. The t-times they met, the in-interactions between them... mean n-nothing. I know N-Nessa. He's not affecting h-her as much as he thinks h-he is..."

"How do you know?"

"B-Because there are th-things she's been through that w-were far worse than some g-guy who wants to d-drag out a 'bad' side of her." Jessi's eyes narrowed, making her look much older... and much angrier... "English is a d-dog watching a p-piece of meat. W-waiting for it to d-drop so he can s-sink his teeth in. But what he d-doesn't get is... it's a-already been thrown to th-the dirt and g-ground in..."

"... I thought that symbolism stuff was V's thing?"

"I h-have my m-moments too."

Andy smirked slightly, before it faded as she thought about what Jessi said. It was a bit... sad. Kind of depressing, even. She knew she was a snarky, sarcastic person... but she didn't try to be really negative. And maybe she'd try to be less, for V's sake. Or she'd still kick English's ass. Mostly because he's a fucking prick.

"Wait... I see her!"

"What? Where?" Wilde looked around in confusion, not seeing their blonde friend anywhere. The smaller blonde nudged Andy and pointed slightly upward, toward a blob sitting in a tree, on a high branch. Both women scrambled over...





You are not going to accomplish a thing sitting in a tree, peasant...

"Ooo lemme just take advice and life lessons from someone who doesn't fucking exist!"

......

"V!"

"N-Nessa!"

I blinked a few times, pulling away from the daze I'd been in. Squinting downward, I saw my manager Andy Wilde and personal assistant Jessica Brennan standing below. They waved up at me, and I took in a deep breath. I could see it now... a scolding, a lecture. Nothing I wanted to be a part of...

"Uh, sup?"

"The fuck do you mean 'sup'?!" Andy snapped, glaring up at me. "We've been worried about you!"

"Oh. Sorry."

"You're gonna be sorry, you buttslut!" Wilde's tone turned joking, as a small smile crossed her lips. "Come down. We'll go get some coffee or something. You know I'm here to talk, V."

"What's there to talk about?" I inquired, not moving from the branch I sat on. "The 'power struggle' in VoW? Yah, no thanks."

"Power struggle? What power?" My manager shot me my own blank stare, before laughin' all sardonic like. "No... no, V you're wrong. Hurting people... doing what English does? That's not fucking power."

Jessi nodded firmly in agreement, as I stared away. "Andy's r-right, N-Nessa. Strength i-isn't so b-black and white..."

"Exactly." Wilde continued clearly, ignoring the whistling wind and my doubting look. "Strength has nothing to do with physicality or the ability to get in someone's head. Strength doesn't come from physical or even mental capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. Endurance. Weakness is lacking that, or especially trying to take it from someone else. And power?? Well... power is knowing the difference between the two."

Whoa. That was deep. I looked down at Andy in awe for a moment, before lightly clapping my hands together mockingly. She flipped me the bird, before smiling, "I'm not kidding, V. You might have more power than you think..."

Feelin' a tugging in my chest, I held back tears that were stinging at me eyes. I guess I'm an emotional wreck or something. But... but if you ever knew... what it felt like to not be in control of your very mind... your very body... to have this... this fucking handicap that's ripped you away from most of your friends and family your entire life, to the point where you couldn't even protect them... couldn't protect Reya... or... or Rayne. It's... something that makes you feel elated and positive at one moment, and has you broken down in tears the next... something that people either forget about and make you hate yourself more by pointing it out... or something that people fucking take advantage of... if you knew...

What... would you do?

Hands trembling on the branches I held, I shook away the emotions as best I could, before jumping down. Without realizing how high I was up. Oopsie. Andy didn't even have time to facepalm, instead scrambling forward to catch me. Of course, that didn't end well... and I landed ass first on her face. Jessi stood back, watching with a shake of her head.

Pushing myself off of my manager, I brushed myself off and put a hand out. Wilde coughed and smirked up at me. "Definitely worth a broken nose..."

"Oi.... pervert."

"So?"

I laughed slightly and put a hand out, which Andy took... then kept holding it as she yanked me forward into an emotional hug. Tensing in her arms, I felt that tugging again as Wilde spoke softly, "Don't run off on your own. I mean, it's your life and I won't stop you... but... come to me first, and I'll do whatever I can, if you want me to. You don't have to face these evils alone anymore..."

I sniffled, knowing my eyes were gonna be a reddened mess now, despite tears only having threatened to fall. But I rubbed at them and pulled away with a nod, as Wilde and I shared a smile... before she grabbed my ass. "HEY!"

"I couldn't help it!" She cried, jumping away and laughing when I swatted at her, red faced. I stuck my tongue out at her, and she grinned wider, before turning around and joking with Jessi (just to include her, because that's how Andy was). I watched them warmly as I sank back into my thoughts.

Facing evils, huh... was English one of those? Was he a necessary evil, or a nagging one? One that should be vanquished. Who knew. Casanova didn't seem to care if he won or lost... because the whole 3 count thing wasn't his priority. It was dissecting the person across the ring from him. Cracking them open, searching their very subconscious... and using it against them. He seemed to think... if he did the same thing over and over again, that he'd get the same result. But... that's the definition of insanity. And while sanity itself may be overrated... some of do 'crazy' a bit better than others...

He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

There wasn't a doubt in my mind. I could feel it... my alter ego and I... seemed to be on the same page. And that... that's a problem for people like Casanova. Philosopher, cultist, leader of a group of arrogant whackjobs... whatever he was... had no bearing on my mind. Win or lose... those words only applied psychologically at this event.

So the question returns... was English evil? Did that make me good? Hah. See, those two things... are actually two sides of the same coin. There's the side that corrupts and tries to break everything in it's path. And then there's the side that tries to put it all back together. Use some Elmer's glue on that mofo. Even if a bit messy, some of us wanna try to put things back to how they were. Back to a happier place. Even if we ourselves are broken as well...

'So... maybe there's a way to prevent it, before it even gets broken. Maybe people on this side of the coin just haven't figured it out yet, because... they haven't fought fire with fire.' I pondered inwardly, a thoughtful look on my face. The Queen seemed bemused, but responded rather respectfully...

Evil is as Evil does, I suppose...

"But will we go that route?" I whispered, to the Queen rather than my friends, as I fell behind in step to finish off with a conversation with my other side. My alter ego was silent for but a moment, before laughing within me...

Perhaps we will pull a few tricks out of our figurative hat at Double Jeopardy... and perhaps come out the victor because of such. I do indeed enjoy winning... even over gaining control.

"Heh, thought you would." I offered a smirk, one that was slowly morphing into a rather malicious one... one that... that might have been changing me as a person...

"And lucky for us, two is better than one, Queeny. Let's show English... what the power of duality truly means..."

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~This has been a V rp, thanx for reading and have a great f*cking day!~