Myshuno: Do you ever feel sorry for him?
Oct. 11th, 2012 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katrisimsPrompt: What goes around comes around (hcbirce)
Words: 939
Universe: could be canon, sometime after Cho and Nicholas' wedding
Warnings: Gloom
This one's a bit on the gloomier side, but I gotta do one of those every now and then, right? I'm not sure if I'm entirely happy with this, but I can't put a finger on why. Oh well, here's the piece anyway.
It was an evening in late spring. Outside it was raining, but inside it was warm and cozy. Cho, Nicholas, Cyrus and Chris were sitting in the latter couple's living room, snacking from the cheese platter that Chris had made for them. Baudolino and Marylena were babysitting Dirk, and little Dani was sleeping in her crib in Cyrus and Chris' bedroom. It was a night just for the adults.
"... and that's what the boss told me, I'm not sure if there's more to it than that", Chris finished her story and took another small piece of cheese.
"Yeah, I can see why", she heard the others mutter in unison. After that, everyone fell silent for a short while, apparently lost in their thoughts and silently enjoying their snack.
"Cho?" Cyrus broke the silence.
"Hmm?"
"I was wondering... Maybe it's not even an acceptable thing to ask but..."
"Sure, ask away", said Cho.
Cyrus shrugged. "You know, I've been thinking lately, and... Do you ever feel sorry for him?"
"What? Whom?" asked Cho, and Chris and Nicholas looked equally confused.
"I mean... him. Salahuddin Chamcha."
Cyrus half-expected Cho to get mad, remind him of the obvious wrongs that the man in question had done to their family – which he hadn't forgotten – but she didn't. Instead, she just sat there silently, looking at the floor and playing with a grape that she'd picked up from the platter.
"I don't know", she then said. "It'd certainly be a lot easier to feel bad for him if he hadn't tried to kill me", she said with a small laugh with no joy. Cyrus saw Nicholas squeeze his sister's hand tightly. "And whatever Dad says – I know he's right in that there's no evidence – I still think he must have killed Charlie. Not to mention everything he's done before. But..."
"Yeah", said Cyrus and nodded. He knew exactly what she meant.
"I'm sorry", said Nicholas, who had only silently listened so far, "I don't exactly know the whole story. Was it that he was in love with your... great grandmother?"
Cho nodded at him. "Yes, Author. She founded the Legacy. From what Dad has told me, he was a fling of sorts early on, while she was still working on her lifetime want of lots of first dates, and was perhaps slightly feeling jealous of her husband", she explained and added to Nicholas' questioning look: "No, he wasn't cheating or anything, but he was busy with his work and hobbies sometimes. Anyway, in the end she realized that she and her husband were happy together and that's what she wanted, and apparently Salahuddin didn't take it very well. He couldn't let go, and even after she died of old age, he's been trying to resurrect her. I think that's his ultimate goal to this day, unless he's completely snapped and just wants us all dead by now. No one really knows, I suppose."
Nicholas nodded. "I see."
"I'd completely understand if you just hated him", noted Chris. "Doing everything he's done, I don't think I could blame you. Either of you." She nodded towards Cho and Cyrus.
"Yeah", said Cho. "I guess sometimes I really do hate him." Tears started filling her eyes, and Nicholas wrapped an arm around her. "When I wake up in the middle of the night, just having seen him stand in front of me and point at me with his wand... Or when I go to the family graveyard and see Charlie's grave. Then I really think that no punishment is enough. Sometimes I can't even know if I feel sorry for Aadam."
"His son with our great grandmother", explained Cyrus to Nicholas. "Born and raised in the Legacy house, went to join his father when he grew up, but grew a spine when he saw how far Salahuddin was willing to go, and escaped."
"Ah, okay", said Nicholas and nodded.
"Yeah, I understand that", said Cyrus to his sister. "I do feel sorry for Aadam, though. He basically made one mistake that caused him years of misery, and he did the right thing in the end. If it wasn't for Aadam, they probably wouldn't have Salahuddin in custody now. And, all said and done, it's still about his father."
"I know", said Cho. "And I think that I can forgive him. I've met Aadam, not so many times but still, and I know he's a nice guy. And I can't exactly say that I haven't made mistakes myself. Actually", she said, looking pensive, "in that sense, he's maybe a better person than I am. He made his mistakes because of love. I made mine, well, for the lack of it I suppose."
"Don't beat yourself up for it", said Chris firmly.
"We've been over this, honey", said Nicholas.
"I know, I know", said Cho. "Anyway, yeah, I can't really come to a conclusion. Some days I think that he's just a man. Regardless of all the things he's done, he's just a man and he, too, has suffered. Probably continues to suffer, as he's now not only lost my great grandmother, but also his kids. Losing Dirk would be the most terrible thing I could imagine happening to me." Cho paused, and her look toughened, as tears glistened in her eyes. "But there are times when I think he should rot in prison for all eternity, when I think it's good they haven't cured the vampirism, since he has to suffer longer."
She drew breath and looked her brother in the eye. "He's made his bed, now he gets to lie in it."
And with that, I get to claim a Myshuno! Proof:
Words: 939
Universe: could be canon, sometime after Cho and Nicholas' wedding
Warnings: Gloom
This one's a bit on the gloomier side, but I gotta do one of those every now and then, right? I'm not sure if I'm entirely happy with this, but I can't put a finger on why. Oh well, here's the piece anyway.
It was an evening in late spring. Outside it was raining, but inside it was warm and cozy. Cho, Nicholas, Cyrus and Chris were sitting in the latter couple's living room, snacking from the cheese platter that Chris had made for them. Baudolino and Marylena were babysitting Dirk, and little Dani was sleeping in her crib in Cyrus and Chris' bedroom. It was a night just for the adults.
"... and that's what the boss told me, I'm not sure if there's more to it than that", Chris finished her story and took another small piece of cheese.
"Yeah, I can see why", she heard the others mutter in unison. After that, everyone fell silent for a short while, apparently lost in their thoughts and silently enjoying their snack.
"Cho?" Cyrus broke the silence.
"Hmm?"
"I was wondering... Maybe it's not even an acceptable thing to ask but..."
"Sure, ask away", said Cho.
Cyrus shrugged. "You know, I've been thinking lately, and... Do you ever feel sorry for him?"
"What? Whom?" asked Cho, and Chris and Nicholas looked equally confused.
"I mean... him. Salahuddin Chamcha."
Cyrus half-expected Cho to get mad, remind him of the obvious wrongs that the man in question had done to their family – which he hadn't forgotten – but she didn't. Instead, she just sat there silently, looking at the floor and playing with a grape that she'd picked up from the platter.
"I don't know", she then said. "It'd certainly be a lot easier to feel bad for him if he hadn't tried to kill me", she said with a small laugh with no joy. Cyrus saw Nicholas squeeze his sister's hand tightly. "And whatever Dad says – I know he's right in that there's no evidence – I still think he must have killed Charlie. Not to mention everything he's done before. But..."
"Yeah", said Cyrus and nodded. He knew exactly what she meant.
"I'm sorry", said Nicholas, who had only silently listened so far, "I don't exactly know the whole story. Was it that he was in love with your... great grandmother?"
Cho nodded at him. "Yes, Author. She founded the Legacy. From what Dad has told me, he was a fling of sorts early on, while she was still working on her lifetime want of lots of first dates, and was perhaps slightly feeling jealous of her husband", she explained and added to Nicholas' questioning look: "No, he wasn't cheating or anything, but he was busy with his work and hobbies sometimes. Anyway, in the end she realized that she and her husband were happy together and that's what she wanted, and apparently Salahuddin didn't take it very well. He couldn't let go, and even after she died of old age, he's been trying to resurrect her. I think that's his ultimate goal to this day, unless he's completely snapped and just wants us all dead by now. No one really knows, I suppose."
Nicholas nodded. "I see."
"I'd completely understand if you just hated him", noted Chris. "Doing everything he's done, I don't think I could blame you. Either of you." She nodded towards Cho and Cyrus.
"Yeah", said Cho. "I guess sometimes I really do hate him." Tears started filling her eyes, and Nicholas wrapped an arm around her. "When I wake up in the middle of the night, just having seen him stand in front of me and point at me with his wand... Or when I go to the family graveyard and see Charlie's grave. Then I really think that no punishment is enough. Sometimes I can't even know if I feel sorry for Aadam."
"His son with our great grandmother", explained Cyrus to Nicholas. "Born and raised in the Legacy house, went to join his father when he grew up, but grew a spine when he saw how far Salahuddin was willing to go, and escaped."
"Ah, okay", said Nicholas and nodded.
"Yeah, I understand that", said Cyrus to his sister. "I do feel sorry for Aadam, though. He basically made one mistake that caused him years of misery, and he did the right thing in the end. If it wasn't for Aadam, they probably wouldn't have Salahuddin in custody now. And, all said and done, it's still about his father."
"I know", said Cho. "And I think that I can forgive him. I've met Aadam, not so many times but still, and I know he's a nice guy. And I can't exactly say that I haven't made mistakes myself. Actually", she said, looking pensive, "in that sense, he's maybe a better person than I am. He made his mistakes because of love. I made mine, well, for the lack of it I suppose."
"Don't beat yourself up for it", said Chris firmly.
"We've been over this, honey", said Nicholas.
"I know, I know", said Cho. "Anyway, yeah, I can't really come to a conclusion. Some days I think that he's just a man. Regardless of all the things he's done, he's just a man and he, too, has suffered. Probably continues to suffer, as he's now not only lost my great grandmother, but also his kids. Losing Dirk would be the most terrible thing I could imagine happening to me." Cho paused, and her look toughened, as tears glistened in her eyes. "But there are times when I think he should rot in prison for all eternity, when I think it's good they haven't cured the vampirism, since he has to suffer longer."
She drew breath and looked her brother in the eye. "He's made his bed, now he gets to lie in it."
And with that, I get to claim a Myshuno! Proof:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: Oct. 12th, 2012 11:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Oct. 13th, 2012 01:33 pm (UTC)