A clear no, Nero has not thought about it. That's fine. It's hardly a situation most people ever find themselves in, and as Folkmore has made abundantly clear, there is no shortage of issues on which to spend his time. It's one reason V's hesitated to call on the house and to speak with Nero or Dante. Whatever they thought of him before, they must think something differently of him now. An issue that seemed the past, only a part of Vergil's story, until the day V arrived. So they've had no more time to ponder it than him.
The question gets turned back on V, both eminently reasonable and imminently uncomfortable. Entirely unavoidable as well. It's only natural that Nero's opinion of what he wants would be influenced by what V wants. The question that stares him down in the mirror (when other people are not busy appearing in said mirror) in many iterations: what does he want? what does it mean?
"I must first preface that whatever relationship we might develop does nothing to undermine, demean, or lessen your relationship with Vergil in any regard," V says, "He is your father, and I am given to understand he has worked hard to make amends, gain your trust, and take on that mantle."
No one has implied V would do so, but his presence alone impacts their lives. The ties between him and Vergil cannot be cut, only acknowledged.
"Handling Urizen, I lacked the time to consider what you or Dante might mean to me. You would mean nothing if I failed, and it all seemed like it could wait until then—despite the fact that means until the point I no longer existed as myself," V says. It's so hard to speak of the matter itself, but he cannot speak around it entirely. "Even should you ever decide I mean nothing more than a stranger to you, you will always mean something to me. Something more than the means to stop Urizen and correct my mistake."
The word hangs in his mind.
"Family, I expect. The shape that might take remains more nebulous. Father, uncle, brother, they rise and fall as questions. As something we might be. The only clear thing about it is that whatever we are will take time and effort." His heart races, as though he's running and fighting with all his might. It's only one foot in front of the other, and that feels challenging at the moment. V leans on his cane at the immensity of what he's said.
"A title without what comes behind it is meaningless."
no subject
The question gets turned back on V, both eminently reasonable and imminently uncomfortable. Entirely unavoidable as well. It's only natural that Nero's opinion of what he wants would be influenced by what V wants. The question that stares him down in the mirror (when other people are not busy appearing in said mirror) in many iterations: what does he want? what does it mean?
"I must first preface that whatever relationship we might develop does nothing to undermine, demean, or lessen your relationship with Vergil in any regard," V says, "He is your father, and I am given to understand he has worked hard to make amends, gain your trust, and take on that mantle."
No one has implied V would do so, but his presence alone impacts their lives. The ties between him and Vergil cannot be cut, only acknowledged.
"Handling Urizen, I lacked the time to consider what you or Dante might mean to me. You would mean nothing if I failed, and it all seemed like it could wait until then—despite the fact that means until the point I no longer existed as myself," V says. It's so hard to speak of the matter itself, but he cannot speak around it entirely. "Even should you ever decide I mean nothing more than a stranger to you, you will always mean something to me. Something more than the means to stop Urizen and correct my mistake."
The word hangs in his mind.
"Family, I expect. The shape that might take remains more nebulous. Father, uncle, brother, they rise and fall as questions. As something we might be. The only clear thing about it is that whatever we are will take time and effort." His heart races, as though he's running and fighting with all his might. It's only one foot in front of the other, and that feels challenging at the moment. V leans on his cane at the immensity of what he's said.
"A title without what comes behind it is meaningless."