Myshuno: Deep Thoughts

[katrisims]

Prompt: Why taking revenge on the descendants of your enemy makes total sense (by mzyra)
Words: 919
Universe: canon Alphabetia, some time around chapter 33 or 34
Warnings: twisted villain-logic

Fourth prompt already, yay! This is canon-ish, although I don't think it'll be included in a chapter.

In other news, I decided I'm allowed to play through the mini-rotation at college before I start shooting the massive plottiness that is Cyrus and Chris' wedding. So I started on that, and it feels good to get to play Alphabetia a bit. :) I also realize I should continue with the autumn picspam I was doing before, although now the pictures are a little old.

Anyway, for now, have some Sal & Komei:


It was a quiet evening in Salahuddin Chamcha's lair. Salahuddin himself sat on the comfortable couch, sipping a glass of wine. Komei Tellerman was sitting next to him, also quietly pondering with his glass, apparently lost in thought. He had come to give his regular report about happenings in Alphabetia, and Salahuddin had invited him to stay for the evening. Really, when one was an outlaw, there was not very much to do. It did not go to leave the protected area without a very good reason; the police could be waiting right outside.

Salahuddin was in fact startled, when Komei suddenly spoke, after a long silence.

"You know, there's one thing I don't get", he started. "About you, I mean." Salahuddin remained quiet, waited. "Why bother, after all this time? Is the revenge really so sweet?"

"Revenge?" Salahuddin raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. Revenge. To the Bookacies. After all, it's been several generations, and the guy you were mad at has been dead for longer than I can count. Why take it out on his, whatever, great-grandkids or something?"

"'The guy you were mad at'?" Salahuddin repeated, not really following mr. Tellerman's train of thought.

"Yeah, the count, what's-his-name, Curtis?"

"Ah, I see", said Salahuddin, finally grasping what the other man meant. He furrowed his brows. "I believe I have already explained my motivations?"

Komei shrugged. "Well, yeah, but... I was of the impression that you really wanted to get back at them, especially the count guy."

"You are right in one respect" Salahuddin said, looking into his glass. "It has indeed been a long time. And Count Curtis is long dead, that is true, and only his descendants remain. There is, however, a reason why time does not matter to me. I do not seek revenge against Count Curtis Bookacy."

"You don't?"

"No." Salahuddin shook his head and sipped his wine. "I hold no grudge against the count. To my misfortune, and perhaps, his, it only happened that he was already married to the woman I love. It is, in fact, only understandable that he would attempt to hinder me from acquiring what I desire. I cannot blame him for that, as he too was attached to her."

Komei waited, but Salahuddin was in no hurry. He pondered for a while, absent-mindedly moving his fingers on the stem of his glass.

"It is true that I have been angered with the count in the past, as he was originally the one who took away from me my love. But now, this all matters no longer. Count Curtis is dead, and he shall not come back."

After a short break, Salahuddin went on: "The current members of the family, the young heiress and her siblings, are in fact so young that they have never met Author, nor the count. They cannot be blamed for not understanding my love for someone they have never even met. No, it is only natural they cannot understand."

Salahuddin seemed to fall into deep thought. Komei couldn't resist but ask:

"But... You're still planning the death of the current heiress."

He didn't know what he'd expected, but certainly he hadn't expected Salahuddin to smile. There was a hint of sadness to the smile.

"Ah, but if I am planning to end the life of someone, surely I must have something against them?" he asked if he'd understood the other man's thinking correctly. Komei nodded.

"No, in fact, mr. Tellerman, I regret that the girl must die."

"You do?"

"Yes. Any harm to her would be unnecessary, had the family not cast a spell to prevent me from bringing her great-grandmother back. But as they have cast such a spell, and as the only way for the spell to be broken is from the inside, there is no other option for me than to arrange that someone irreplaceable dies. And who would be more irreplaceable than the current heir of the family?"

Both men sipped their wine. Komei didn't know what to think about this. He had assumed that Salahuddin's motivations included revenge; that would have been understandable to him. But now, now that he started to see the truth... He may not have entirely believed Salahuddin's words, it might not be conscious, but probably there was a hint of sweet revenge behind it all. But the true reason was perhaps even more frightening: true devotion, unending determination, sheer persistence, over countless years. Komei repressed a shudder.

"So you're really doing this for one reason and one reason only?"

"To be absolutely honest", replied Salahuddin slowly, looking at the opposite wall, "I cannot deny that it would not be pleasurable to end the Legacy. They would not experience what I have experienced over the years", he said, and suddenly he truly looked like it had been centuries, "but perhaps the taste of it would suffice. But if I really was aiming for revenge, I would have a much better target in mind."

Komei looked inquiring.

"The Creator", said Salahuddin simply. "She is the one behind everything, she is the one who originally arranged for all this. It has crossed my mind that ending the Legacy would be a rather suitable revenge for her. But that is not of any importance in comparison."

Salahuddin looked longingly at his glass, and emptied it. He then looked Komei in the eye.

"In the end, there really is only one thing that matters to me, one reason and purpose to this all." He paused.

"The woman I love."

Comments

[mzyra.livejournal.com]

... I guess that's better and kind of more reasonable in a way, but... Creepy, dude, creepy.

Glad to hear Sal's not going to go the route of trying to kill his creator, although in my experience the Creator could avoid it if she really wanted to anyway ;)

Interesting Katri: creepy, but interesting :D

[katrisims.livejournal.com]

The thing about Sal is, his reasoning still works as well as ever. At this point, his motivation is to win Author back, which in his view would probably happen pretty much automatically if he were to resurrect her. His not wanting revenge has I think originally made him able to coldly calculate rather than storm around and cause destruction. After all these years as an immortal vampire, he's grown a patience; if it's necessary, he can wait, he has the time. Now, if you added a desire to revenge to that... Eek. Anyway, yes, dangerous, sad, and definitely creepy.

Heh. I suppose I should be glad he can't jump through the screen/through my head to get at me. :D But luckily we Creators tend to have a trick or two up our sleeves, and I think Sal knows that. ;)

Thanks! :)

[katrisims.livejournal.com]

... His reasoning works as well as ever, for the most part, I meant to say. His obsession with Author, prevents him from understanding some very obvious things, such as the fact that Author did not want to be resurrected, and that she chose Count Curtis over Sal. But otherwise.

[esmeiolanthe.livejournal.com]

Okay, I can follow this train of thought. Unfortunately, Sal has one hugely major flaw in his logic: Author didn't choose him the first time around and has absolutely no reason to do so now. Less, even, if she finds out he killed people to bring her back. I mean, that would be a moajor turn-off for /me/...

Nice story, Katri!

[katrisims.livejournal.com]

Exactly! That is indeed Sal's weak point: he simply cannot understand and accept that it's not just the family, or not just me who's keeping him away from Author, it's that Author herself chose Curty over him. And she wouldn't want to be brought back, either. I imagine that, while Sal hasn't technically, on purpose killed anyone (yet?), all those things he has done would horrify Author if she got to know. But to Sal, bringing her back is like a magical solution to everything; once he manages that, that will suddenly make everything all better again. Which of course it wouldn't but... Try telling him that. :P

Thank you! :)