He was calmer now, voice winding down as he reached the end of his story. “When I stood over him with his blood on my hands, I came back to myself. I knew I could not go back to my village, to my family. That would only put them in danger, bring them within reach of whatever retribution would fall on me. And it would fall on me, God, I knew that much at least. But... if nothing else... I had done what I had come to do. I had served Meiran, served justice.”
“I’m sorry -- about your wife,” Duo offered softly. Wufei smiled, but bitterly. “I’m sure you are,” he retorted. “But if every one of my clansmen for the next hundred years pooled every coin of their money, we still would not have had enough to buy justice for Treize Khushrenada.” {Er... should that be “justice for” or “justice from?” or maybe, “justice for Meiran...”} “Dammit, Wufei, I don’t --” Duo cut himself off, frustration evident in his stressed voice. “Don’t you think I don’t know about the faults in the system, about the innocents that get swept up with the real criminals? I’m not that blind! But the one thing you never seemed to learn, Chang Wufei, is that the real world doesn’t give a damn about justice. Life’s not fair -- in fact, life’s a bitch, and there’s nothing that we can do but swallow it anyway. I don’t have the power to change things.” He scrubbed one hand across his eyes. Wufei realized, with a sudden jolt, that Duo was close to tears. “Don’t you realize,” he said, and the waver in his voice caught all of Wufei’s attention, “that if I could just let you go, I would? I don’t enjoy condemning innocent men to death. But it’s out of my hands, Wufei! If not me, then another -- those two thugs back in town are some of your better options. Zechs Merquise is a snake-cold bastard with a memory back to his tenth grandfather. He’ll never let you rest.” He inhaled deeply, blinking rapidly, his bright blue eyes made suspiciously brighter. Abruptly, he pushed himself to his feet and turned, pacing a little ways away, then leaning against a tree. “This wasn’t supposed to ever happen,” he whispered, barely loudly enough for Wufei’s straining ears to catch. “I’m the Shinigami. I have to be. I’m not supposed to have feelings like this, not for a man who should be my prey...” Wufei’s dark eyes widened, staring at Duo’s back and stiff shoulders. An impossible, crazy hope began to bloom in his heart despite all his protests, a hope mixed with black irony and despair...
Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY (cont.)
Date: 2006-02-21 10:12 am (UTC)“I’m sorry -- about your wife,” Duo offered softly.
Wufei smiled, but bitterly. “I’m sure you are,” he retorted. “But if every one of my clansmen for the next hundred years pooled every coin of their money, we still would not have had enough to buy justice for Treize Khushrenada.”
{Er... should that be “justice for” or “justice from?” or maybe, “justice for Meiran...”}
“Dammit, Wufei, I don’t --” Duo cut himself off, frustration evident in his stressed voice. “Don’t you think I don’t know about the faults in the system, about the innocents that get swept up with the real criminals? I’m not that blind! But the one thing you never seemed to learn, Chang Wufei, is that the real world doesn’t give a damn about justice. Life’s not fair -- in fact, life’s a bitch, and there’s nothing that we can do but swallow it anyway. I don’t have the power to change things.” He scrubbed one hand across his eyes. Wufei realized, with a sudden jolt, that Duo was close to tears.
“Don’t you realize,” he said, and the waver in his voice caught all of Wufei’s attention, “that if I could just let you go, I would? I don’t enjoy condemning innocent men to death. But it’s out of my hands, Wufei! If not me, then another -- those two thugs back in town are some of your better options. Zechs Merquise is a snake-cold bastard with a memory back to his tenth grandfather. He’ll never let you rest.” He inhaled deeply, blinking rapidly, his bright blue eyes made suspiciously brighter. Abruptly, he pushed himself to his feet and turned, pacing a little ways away, then leaning against a tree.
“This wasn’t supposed to ever happen,” he whispered, barely loudly enough for Wufei’s straining ears to catch. “I’m the Shinigami. I have to be. I’m not supposed to have feelings like this, not for a man who should be my prey...”
Wufei’s dark eyes widened, staring at Duo’s back and stiff shoulders. An impossible, crazy hope began to bloom in his heart despite all his protests, a hope mixed with black irony and despair...