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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:01:10 GMT -7
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Aug 19, 2019 13:08:12 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2019 13:08:12 GMT -7
(Disguise)Lúthien knew Cas had no intentions of keeping in touch. They'd been friends by circumstance in school but he had never seemed too fond of keeping close to that life. He'd fled far and further from home than she ever had and her travels were hardly a flight. They were merely journeys. Still, she figured it was a good idea to pay a small visit to her dear friend. Give him a friendly reminder that she had not yet forgotten him. She grabbed a bottle of polyjuice potion and tossed some of her basic disguise kit hairs in. She had a few on reserve. Dear close... friends that she had convinced it was a good idea to play barber for. She gave them free haircuts and she took what she needed to be able to get around. Muggles were fools and not all witches were smart enough to be careful with their hairs either. They lived, unaware a criminal stole their faces to avoid the aurors. With her new face on and her flask full she had ventured into knockturn alley. Nobody here would be foolish enough to think they could simply rat her out and survive. Her reputation for revenge and cruelty was towering and she made sure to make it sound worse than she was on average. People didn't actually anger her as often as they gave themselves credit for but if they felt the punishments fitting she never bothered to tell them they had merely annoyed her a little. Perhaps she simply acted out too much? But as she entered the gloomy little store her former friend of sorts was the owner off she simply looked around, judging his inventory. He couldn't be all that picky about whom he decided to hang out with, considering his merchandise. She glanced at a particularly pretty looking thing, a ring that doubtlessly had plenty of dark potential. She heard the faint noise of footsteps and looked around, a smile curling onto her lips. "My goodness Cas, you look dashing." She gushed with a rather fake additude. It was clearly a mockery of rich pureblooded ladies. She approached him and offered her hand to shake his. "Your father sends his regards." She said casually, a cruel twinkle in her eyes. She knew the subject was sensitive to him. "He misses you and wonders when you planned to visit." There was a good old-fashioned malice in her voice, although it dripped with sweet honey at the same time. She wanted to see if she could still crawl under his skin. To let him know there was a part of her furious for having bent sent to prison. It might not have been his personal doing but she rarely cared about justice. She then relaxed as she leaned back against a counter, picking up a random bone that seemed human. "I never expected you to go into a business like this. Do you have any pretty items for an old friend? I'm on a slight shopping spree." She merely meant that she had intentions to purchase, if he had something interesting enough on sale. Human bones most certainly did not count. They just were far too.... basic. Casimir Elias Karkaroff
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last online Oct 5, 2023 2:09:17 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Oct 4, 2019 6:10:17 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Oct 4, 2019 6:10:17 GMT -7
20 March 2025 Cas wondered sometimes if he had bitten off more than he could chew. He still wrote his family every week – usually highly impersonal letters – with instructions, and Borgin and Burke’s demanded an increasingly exorbitant amount of his attention. He was soon to start a new investment to improve the store’s and subsequently his prospects, and now, with Ouroboros...he couldn’t deny that his ambitions and his ego were highly satisfied with the promotion, but the way he had committed himself so thoroughly to one side…it wasn’t something his uncle or his father would have done, which was at the very least a soothing thought, but it carried a level of risk that he couldn’t deny. He usually holed himself up in his office to deliberate over such sensitive matters, but he found himself interrupted by one of his assistants. She had that harried look on her face whenever a particularly important or dangerous client stopped by. Cas dismissed her and slowly, deliberately made his way to the front. The woman who stood admiring his merchandise was unfamiliar to him, so his eyebrows knit together when she addressed him so casually. He didn’t say anything immediately, but he consented to shake her hand…although her next comment froze his blood and sent a stab of fear through his heart. His father was…a sensitive subject, a topic he kept extremely private, and something that never failed to petrify him. Her hand was still in his and he gripped it rigidly, trying to compose himself quickly. It was clear enough who he was talking to, and for all the dirty little secrets she knew about him she didn’t know about his most recent ones. It was enough to put him back in action. Withdrawing his hand, Cas gave a frigid smile. “How kind of you to pass on the message, Lúthien. It must be extremely difficult for him to know how out-of-reach I’ve been. Some of us are quite adept at staying out of cages.” It was provocative, all of it, but he knew what he wanted to say. He knew how Lúthien wanted him to react, the chaos she sought to cause. But, from his schooltime observations, meekly taking the insults was not a satisfactory response. His words were sharp, the underlying message clear, and from using her true name to throwing a barb at the path her life had taken, he wanted her to feel the insult as much as she wanted it for him. Cas watched warily as the woman began to look around his store. “I have something for everybody,” he responded, slowly rounding the counter space as she examined a bone. He didn’t like her use of the word ‘friend’ but didn’t contest it. Cas approached a display case with a number of ancient pieces of jewelry. “I stock many little trinkets, for example, well-suited for the rat who seeks to avoid the exterminator.” @luthien
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:01:10 GMT -7
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Oct 9, 2019 12:05:28 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2019 12:05:28 GMT -7
There was nothing that pleased Lúthien more than knowing that she got under the skin of others. To know she managed to anger or annoy them. To bring a little chaos and misery in their lives whenever she had opportunity. The better she knew people, the more likely she became to seek their discomfort and pain. Her eternal anger lashing out at the world had only grown since school and the more subdued version that had once roamed those halls with the little reject boy had long since disappeared. Her fire had grown and was only good to destroy, as was her passion. She gave him an amused and warm smile as his frost glared so obviously at her from behind his disguise of being held together. The boy's father had always been an issue and she suspected even more than before that he was trying to be some form of good. Or at the very least not follow in his footsteps. In prison she'd exchanged a few words with the other inmates. She'd mostly been bored out of her mind and trying to anger the prison guards. She almost had wished that the dementors were still around. Misery still beat boredom in her book. Nobody could quell her anger, that much was certain. It was rooted in pain and sadness so they would only strengthen the emotions. Jail had not been all bad but it most certainly had not been the life she'd been after. She was more volatile now, more insane if you will. At his comment her smile widened. She drew on the thick Russian accent that had been so common and familiar back in school. "No worries. I'm not here to hurt you." She said, her voice oozing poison as her half-lie rolled out of her mouth ever so smoothly. "Well not physically at least. If you take my playful jests to heart that is not my doing, is it?" She said, lilting her head slightly as a playful and slightly flirty smile played across her lips. She'd missed this, the freedom and the ability to toy with the minds of her peers. This was what she had returned for, what she had missed and desired so much as she'd been locked up. All fantasy played out in the imagination, an endless string of cruelty and torture for those her mind came across. She did not lust for blood, merely pain and despair. The feelings she'd once lived she now wished to spread across the world like a plague. She then approached the display and looked at all the jewels. Gorgeous as they were, he didn't exactly mention anything that appealed to her, nor did such a comment repel her much. She didn't worry about dying as she was more than aware a lifestyle like her own was near impossible to maintain to an old age. At least she'd die young and beautiful and if she had her way, a legend. "I'm not worried about the exterminator. I fear it cannot be avoided for the unwelcome rodent." She jested playfully, no darkness to her words this time. In her own way she cared about the boy after all. He was good and deserved a decent enough life. She just wasn't the type to let anybody have it. She felt sorry for the fact he'd been unfortunate enough to encounter her but there were so many like him. At the very least she had no desire to do him physical harm, which had to be good enough. "I desire something to increase my bite. I wish to leave a mark, as memorable as possible." She looked him straight in the eyes, her face expressionless. "I'll get it somewhere, with or without your help. I'd prefer if you'd profit of the sale if you got the stomach to deal with vermin." She said, without a hint of malice, or for that matter, emotion of any kind. Yes, she had ever been volatile but she was clever enough not to cause random destruction just for the sake of blowing stuff up. Her hits were somewhat calculated, always aiming for the biggest impact and the most pain and misery. That was her purpose after all. To fill the void with pain of other souls. Casimir Elias Karkaroff
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last online Oct 5, 2023 2:09:17 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Jan 2, 2020 4:44:10 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Jan 2, 2020 4:44:10 GMT -7
Since Cas had stepped out from behind the counter and therefore eliminated the last physical barrier between him and his old schoolmate, he compensated by maintaining a strict distance and an icy demeanor. He was usually detached from his surroundings, that was true enough, but it never had that hard edge that suggested that he wanted to be. His face was still carefully blank, but this encounter was dripping with the possibility of danger and Cas couldn’t (or rather didn’t) want to hide the ice in his voice or in the lines of his body. She knew she made him uncomfortable – more than that, she thrived on it. Even after staying carefully out of touch for several years, she still knew enough about him that she could likely inflict the emotional damage she was looking for.
But, Cas deliberated as he closely watched her eyeing his wares, she never could encapsulate all he was because she’d never seen all of him. No one really had. It wasn’t even that she didn’t know about his Occlumency, his highly dangerous work with Ouroboros, or the full scope of his job in Knockturn Alley. It was that, for Cas, life had never been simply about trying to be “good” (whatever that meant) or maximizing his profits. It was about navigating the sea of grey that existed between the black-and-white contrasts of the world, about seeing all available options, rejecting them, and creating his own. It was about recognizing that he would never be completely good, but that he wasn’t too far gone either. It was about studying and cataloguing how the world had been, then scrapping the remnants and starting over.
So Lúthien would never really be able to understand him, because where Cas operated in the undefined overlapping area between things, she only ever lived in the extremes. At some point he’d crossed his arms as he watched her walk around the store, and he didn’t return her teasing smile. He couldn’t deny part of him was nervous about letting something slip, so he kept it simple. “It has never crossed my mind that you would hurt me. The reality has always been much more likely that you will ultimately hurt yourself.” The first part was a lie, of course – Cas had invested much of his brainpower and time in mitigating the risk that the careful balancing game he played could come crashing down on him, and the concern that someone from his past could cause it plagued his mind occasionally. But the second part was true enough, and it stayed true to Cas’s brand of half-truths and half-lies.
The longer this conversation progressed, the more Cas could feel himself settling back into his usual comfortable stance. He wanted to avoid that, however – Lúthien was not someone he should ever let his guard down around, and the fact that she’d engaged with him and adopted his terminology meant that she was willing and able to play his game. So he forced himself to keep his posture tight and his senses alert. Cas had still been standing by one of his jewelry display cases, but he redirected himself to walk across the store as Lúth moved towards him to examine the jewelry. The physical distance wouldn’t make any difference if it came to wandwork, but he couldn’t deny his intense desire to keep a safe distance between them. Her words didn’t jar him as much now that he knew something of what to expect. “You’ve always been honest with yourself, at least, even if you don’t extend the same courtesy to others.” He took his eyes off her for a minute to scan the new display case and consider his own merchandise before he turned back to her. “But you would do well not to overestimate my character or your influence on me. You know my family. You know my position here.” He narrowed his eyes at her slightly, just enough of his irritation showing before he sealed himself off again. “So then you should know that I make my living keeping the rats alive and hidden. Your sympathy is misplaced.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken to someone so directly. It hadn’t been a slip necessarily, because he’d needed to convey the general message. Lúthien had been living in delusions for years, and he couldn’t even imagine how she viewed reality anymore. But he was certain that he was not what she thought he was, and he had his own cover and secrets to maintain. It was necessary, as distasteful as it was, for him to speak his mind. He reverted back to his usual veiled sentences for the rest of what he, as a shopkeeper, was required to say. “Perhaps you would be more interested in these artifacts here.” He tapped his fingers lightly on the display case, housing various brightly shining and old-fashioned sets of bracelets and rings. “They appear harmless enough but can have devastating effects if worn too long. Subtlety has its strengths.”
@luthien
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:01:10 GMT -7
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Mar 5, 2020 10:47:11 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2020 10:47:11 GMT -7
The most fun and at the same time most satisfyingly annoying thing about people that knew her better than most was that they knew her games. They realised just how dangerous and toxic she could be if she put her mind to it and they were wary and on guard. He didn't let his guard down, he didn't allow her a chance to go in for the destruction she was known for. He wouldn't allow her a chance to simply destroy him and walk out, which made her respect him immensely. Up to some point he would be completely right if he figured she had no intention of causing any serious harm to him. These games were far more fun than winning as they kept her wits far sharper than the dull tools that rolled over at nothing. A hundred of those every single day. At least he knew what he was up against. She moved a bit closer and leaned against a counter next to him. "I'm many things but I'm not a liar. I have no intentions to cause you harm, but if you get hurt in the process of the game I honestly don't care and you know that. I've changed very little, perhaps only in the sense I learned more." She looked at him, her eyes intent and with that edge of ice they always carried. She was definitively an addict but her source of addiction was more dangerous than most. She couldn't control her sickening need for destruction, especially when it came to the minds of others. Every single string she managed to play on another person gave her the kick she was looking for. He wasn't easy to play but even the flicker of irritation already gave her that feed she so desperately needed. She was memorable, not somebody to easily forget. She was somebody that got on the nerves of others and caused them to feel, no matter how much they might try to deny it. She felt the surge of power and the darkest parts of her soul rejoiced. She cared about him, yes, but she cared more about the path she had turned to a very long time ago. One day she'd destroy her birth mother so utterly the woman would never manage to recover. Lúth scoffed as he suggested she would ever overestimate somebodies character or her influence on people. Her influence didn't stretch. She was merely the tempting devil on the shoulder but it wasn't like that one always would win. "I'm not arrogant enough to make that mistake. I don't know where you got the idea I have sympathy for anyone other than the devil himself though." She stated casually. "I'm here because of our friendship, if that is what you wish to call it." She took a deep breath, smiling fully as she leaned back a little. "I've missed hanging out with you. People these days are barely a challenge, compared to you. You're one of the few people smart enough not to bite when I dangle bait in front of your face." She said, the aura of malice fading slowly. It was nice to be in good company after being hunted for a while. The smile on her face at the mention of sublte effects conjured a huge villainous smile on her face. "Oh I love subtle." She almost purred at him. It was almost like back in their old school days, before she'd been consumed by her addiction for chaos and destruction. She calmed a little bit and looked at him seriously. "A lot has changed Cas. Sometimes I wish we could go back to school. Things were a lot more simple back then." With which she mostly meant her influence was different and she didn't have a taste for blood and violence like she had now. She hadn't been on the run. It wasn't all bad, as she didn't live a life that had any room for regrets in it but sometimes she wondered what her life would have been like if she'd walked the path with her ex. The path of good, rather than 'evil'. Casimir Elias Karkaroff
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last online Oct 5, 2023 2:09:17 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Mar 9, 2020 7:52:42 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Mar 9, 2020 7:52:42 GMT -7
There was always a balancing game to play with every customer who entered the store. How much eye contact – was looking away giving power to the client, or would maintaining steady eye contact reveal too many of his secrets. How sensational of a background to ascribe to his wares – some clients preferred the no-nonsense, veteran’s approach to sales while others needed lurid and exotic tales to seal the deal on a contract. Each new customer required a customized approach, and Cas was a natural at the guesswork required.
This sale had much higher stakes than the rest, if only because the client had so many extra cards to play based on a shared background. Lúthien knew more about him than he was comfortable with – she’d known him at Durmstrang before he’d perfected that balancing act, before the game became reality and he grew that much more cautious about what he chose to share. And what she had said was completely right – it didn’t matter if she intended to cause him harm or not, because she would if he let her. In that respect, they were too similar. Cas didn’t see the human cost the way most would, and he was willing (and had countlessly) exploited others’ weaknesses for the risk of a reward. He was here, had earned his position, because he knew when to engage and when to cut and run.
Cas had folded his hands behind his back to examine the closest display case, and his fingers twitched at Lúthien’s claim of ‘friendship.’ Don’t pull out your wand, he instructed himself. There was no logic to the impulse, except that Cas wanted to broker this sale and get her out of his shop as soon as possible. There was nothing to be gained here, except whatever few Galleons were still involved in the outcome of this game. That mattered less to him than maintaining his cover intact.
The thought of his Occlumency, and the natural protection it offered, helped settle him. There was no change to his exterior (he would be careful about that), but he turned slightly to study Lúth, who had settled on the display case next to the one he was examining. Cas kept his face neutral but gave a small snort of derision. “Don’t flatter me,” he murmured, eyeing her profile. When it was necessary, strictly necessary, he could engage in flattery and the type of mind games Lúth liked to play. But in this case, playing her game meant that she would win, eventually, using whatever tactics she had to. She was entertained at this moment. Once he gave in, she wouldn’t be anymore.
“Don’t flatter me,” he repeated, shaking his head slightly but giving her a wry half-smile. She was trying to personalize the conversation – he wanted to keep it as anonymous and distant as possible. “This is just a game. And it ends with a purchase.” Cas was firm on that point. He had very few personal relationships in his life, and the majority were his family, those he was born with. He didn’t seek friends, he didn’t seek personal connections. When he made the sale, he was done (until the next one, at least).
Lúthien’s last words sounded almost...sentimental. Cas turned to study her carefully, his eyes studying the unfamiliar face with the familiar expressions. Except this one. Lúth wasn’t sentimental or nostalgic or weak. That she was engaging in these...fantasies of the past was different. He didn’t believe in ‘fate’ or ‘destiny’ or that ‘everything happened for a reason.” His life was firmly grounded on the fact that his choices (purposeful and accidental) had defined his life, and that everybody was responsible for their own future. He turned back to the display case and tapped his wand on the glass to permit him to open it.
“Simple isn’t better.” His tone was direct. “And we made the changes. They didn’t happen to us.” He carefully selected a ring and lifted it. “You should be careful. One might almost believe you have regrets.”
With that, he changed the subject and held up the engagement ring. Unlike most of the things in the store, it looked new and twinkled in the light. “Artisanal gold band, flawless diamonds. It once belonged to a black widow – six husbands, dead before the seventh and last. It’s been here years and looks the same as the day it was first brought in, but one might think it has a tarnished reputation.” He gave her a pointed look.
@luthien
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:01:10 GMT -7
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Mar 20, 2020 11:21:24 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2020 11:21:24 GMT -7
Cas was one of the few people that ended up a worthy adversary to her mind games. She respected him and enjoyed his company for it. She was pretty sure it wasn't mutual and that he dreaded the times that he saw her face while she almost looked toward to seeing his. It meant games were on and that her mind was finally getting the kind of satisfaction required to keep from going so horribly bored she started to try and destroy lives just because it was a lot more interesting to watch that play out than just doing a regular job. The pay off she sought was far darker and it creeped people out, she was more than aware of it. The few that came close to understanding had their own dark sides and they struggled not to give in. Lúthien had long since given up on the idea of being a good person. Seeing Cas manage to some extent impressed her, even though she didn't quite believe it would last. Darkness consumed and if it didn't, people were destroyed by their past actions somehow. It was hard to be truly happy when all your time would be consumed fighting your own nature. Not everybody carried a rotten heart but Lúthien knew the impact of letting go and embracing the darkness. It had given her so much power. She finally stopped feeling like other people had a say in what her life would look like. She would do whatever she wanted. Once upon a blue moon it meant being a good person, but usually it meant she caused bad things to happen to people that annoyed or displeased her. Not even as retribution most of the time, simply to fill her time. She chuckled, a smile playing on her lips. "Now now Cas... We both know I don't buy that." She said, leaning forward and leaning on the counter a little. "My transactions are never about money, which is why I pay ever so handsomely." She said. He knew her well enough to know that she was right about paying a lot as long as the interaction was fun to her, or the job gave her gratification. She'd killed for contracts that were awefully cheap for the branch for the sake of having fun and hard bargained ridiculous prices to those that offered boring or bothersome chores she wasn't interested in for any other reason than money. There was a balance in that all for her, everything was about what she got out of it. Not in terms of money primarily. "You might enjoy a simple sale but I would have gone to somebody else if all I wanted was to buy something. There is a risk in catching up with an old friend, as I'm sure you're aware." She stated simply, her exterior a bit more cold and businesslike again as she reminded him that she wasn't that easy to manipulate. He didn't seem to realise that they were supposed to be having a moment, which only made everything more fun. She smiled, half amused and half with a bitterness that nothing could mask. "Not all things were choice Cas. I do have regrets, or rather, just the one." She looked at the ring, studying it carefully, not yet in the mood to expand before examining the goods on offer. She shrugged slightly and then motion to the ring. "Can I?" She asked, requesting permission to handle it to be more sure of what she wanted. "You remind me of what I was like in school. I used to believe I could be good, if only I tried hard enough." She sighed a little dramatically as her eyes traced the intricate lines of the ring. She was getting married now, at least she had that going. "I was wrong, clearly. I held back my full potential for the sake of others. I thought I wanted the family life, you know?" She glanced at him sideways at that point and then smiled and shrugged as she looked away again. "Maybe it would have gone differently if I hadn't lost my daughter." She pulled out her money at the point and put it on the table. "How much for the ring? I like it." She then looked him dead in the eyes with a dangerously flat expression in her eyes. "I hope you're walking this path for your own reasons Cas. Nobody who you think might be worth it otherwise? They'll always ask more, unless they betray you first. Just keep in mind what happens when you can't provide what they ask for." She carelessly started counting money at that point, willing to pay quite the decent sum if he played his cards right on this one. He hadn't called anybody on her yet but she wasn't dumb enough to fully trust him. He'd talk, eventually. Or rather, if he was serious about living the kind of life of a so called good person. It didn't matter to her as those that would be sent to chase her didn't really know what to look for either way. She'd gotten caught by chance last time and she'd only grown far more careful by now. She was a figure of interest after all and she was certain that he'd consider selling for the right price. She just hoped it would be a high one as she'd take her revenge if he sold out for too low a price. Casimir Elias Karkaroff
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last online Oct 5, 2023 2:09:17 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Mar 21, 2020 4:00:31 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Mar 21, 2020 4:00:31 GMT -7
It was hard to pinpoint what exactly was disturbing about his conversations with Lúthien, what exactly so set him on edge. Cas dealt with Dark wizards regularly, those on the fringes of society for their history or their character or because something about them was just off. Lúthien’s past, the crimes she’d committed to land herself in Azkaban, were horrifying but…he regularly dealt with scores of disturbed wizards. That they shared a common history would become problematic at some point, even if they had both been vastly different during their school days at Durmstrang. They’d both since walked on diverging paths, but the seeds of their character had already been there even in school.
Maybe it was because looking into her eyes was like looking into a warped mirror of himself. Their personalities weren’t quite exact – Cas harbored more of a cold fury while Lúth was all fire. He favored utility and calculation while she had simply let go of her inhibitions to find anything that could make her feel. But maybe, if it hadn’t been for the outside influences in his life, he too would have walked a similar path. Cas had worked so hard to avoid becoming his father or his uncle, and he had met Titus at an early enough stage of his life before his world view could be cemented. He’d been convinced by Titus and Harry Potter himself that Ouroboros was the right path for him before any Purifiers ever tried a recruitment tactic. And now, in his work with Ouroboros, collaborating alongside such different personalities that he had never been exposed to before Titus, he was being shown that his darkness did not need to engulf him and that (while maybe he would never be a good person) he could maybe be a better one.
It was a jarring set of contrasts in his life – and at certain moments when he was alone and in the dark, Cas contemplated which temptation would win him in the end. It was jolting to be so uncertain about something so important – he was always a decisive actor, even without complete information, so to be so paralyzed was unusual and unsettling.
Still, he considered as he listened quietly to Lúthien expound on her regrets and speak so concretely about the past and the future and true natures, maybe he was still capable of surprising her. Cas let her take the ring wordlessly, and took the opportunity to study her face. “Lúthien,” he said quietly, interrupting her musings. Even simply speaking her name out-loud, when she was on-the-run and disguised, was a challenge. There was a hint of a wry smile on his face and he shook his head slightly. “You’ve always spoken so certainly about things you know nothing about. And you’ve always tried to simplify what is unimaginably complicated.”
He stopped to consider what she’d warned him, about the path he’d chosen. Out-of-context, it almost sounded like she knew about his work with Ouroboros, and that she was warning him that it wasn’t the right path for him…but of course that wasn’t the case. This was simply Lúth imagining the choices he’d made for himself and tempting him with that shared knowledge they both had. That they weren’t so different after all, only that they had both made a few key choices that had created a vast chasm between them. Cas studied her carefully, at her newly flat expression and dead eyes. He wasn’t a gentle person, and his tone was simultaneously ice and stone.
“We haven’t seen each other for years, Lúth.” He rarely used her nickname even when they’d been in school – he considered it unbearably sentimental. “Don’t presume to understand my motivations. Or my true nature. I am never someone that could be accepted as a good and whole person. It’s not my intention to seek that acceptance, either. But unnecessary pain is not my style, and I will not pursue a risk that offers me no clear benefit.” He was not adverse to underhanded tactics to achieve his goals – a rigid spine and unrestrained ambition were requirements to be successful in his field. But he preferred subtlety, exploiting a weakness only when it suited him, and in that he had a very selfish nature. Altruism, putting the other before oneself, didn’t exist in his world. And at this moment, Lúthien was an unexplored risk with no obvious benefits. She hadn’t made her case.
Cas sighed slightly…she might ultimately have a point about Ouroboros, even if she didn’t realize the full extent of his subterfuge. He didn’t quite fit in with the angels, even if he wasn’t completely a devil. It would only be a matter of time before they asked something of him he couldn’t deliver. But these weren’t deliberations he wanted to contemplate in front of Lúthien.
Lúthien was quite carelessly counting her money out, so Cas stilled her movements by placing a firm hand on top of hers. He had enough Galleons that such a simple transaction uninterested him. He was quite different from most in that way – the most precious currency wasn’t gold. And in this, he could serve Ouroboros in a way most of its members could not. “Keep your gold. This ring has a different price.” He paused to remove his hand and break their contact. “Your word. That the next time we see each other, you’ll be wearing your own face. As I remember it from school.” He kept his eyes locked with hers – his mind was impenetrable and he wanted her to see his resolve. He despised this continued relationship of theirs, that she would continue to persist in his life as a temptation and a dark reminder of what he could be. But he was never one to shy away from danger, or what he had to do. “In this one thing you are correct. We’re not done with each other yet.”
@luthien
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:01:10 GMT -7
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Mar 25, 2020 11:30:08 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2020 11:30:08 GMT -7
It all seemed so simple when it wasn't, was it? But when one had the path she had, black and white blurred together until everything was grey and a lifeless past never would offer a future. She'd walked the path of good, even if he failed to realise just how profoundly she'd believed she could be good. Even at her worst she'd directed all her might and power towards a purpose that was supposed to be good. In the end it didn't even matter. All her actions ended up sick and twisted and the little chaos of fun she spread in the world at large was scoffed away by those that sought order in every single element of life. There was a constant nagging pain about never being able to belong because it what she had wanted. Everything had broken into pieces and the only thing she managed to do was to stop caring. At that point it was power for the sake of power, chaos for the sake of disturbing order. Everything was done for a purpose that she chose and good and evil held no balance as long as she could bend everything to match her reality. And whenever somebody would stand in her way...? She would love them for it. No matter how much power she managed to collect, it didn't fill the void. It didn't complete whatever purpose life would have for her. That which she could not have was the only thing she would still consider switching sides for, even if it did kill her. Yet in the endless bounds of her suffering not even that was safe from the darkness threatening to swallow it all. It would unravel if nobody could manage to surprise her or keep her engaged in the way that he could. If that would all fail, she would be consumed utterly and destroy everything she could until at least somebody would bring her to peace. Sometimes it was like she was only waiting for that day to come, while other days she could just relax and be human once again. Still she didn't do much more than scoff. "I've seen your complicated. All it does is get people hurt. My way does the same, only in a less vile and secretive way. I don't pretend that I want the best any longer as the best is impossible to achieve. People get hurt more when they don't expect you to hurt them. I have certainty in my own ways, even if you and everybody else would disagree. People complicate things. In nature it's far more of a eat or be eaten type of thing. You live or you die. I didn't make the rules, I just follow the baseline." Naturally she was pushing him a little on this. She was far too aware of the nuances that had caused her to fall in love once upon a time and had allowed her to stray from the path of chaos for a while. It was odd to hear him use her nickname since he rarely used those to begin with. Not that it mattered much, it meant that she was getting somewhere. Not that she knew or cared too much about where exactly that was. She looked at him as he spoke, a small smile playing at her lips as she considered his words. "Well I hope you realise my side of the world can offer a lot of big, quick and easy profits if you consider the risks worth it. On average walking the line you appear the tiptoe with the 'honest' business you've got here only leads to people wanting to kill you more actively in my experience." She noted dryly, although there was no judgement in her tone. It wasn't like she was the best of all at keeping herself out of trouble. She was alive, but not by default guaranteed to stay that way. The moment he touched her hand, she couldn't help but freeze utterly and completely, her entire body tensing prepared for an attack. It didn't take long for the physical contact to break and her desperate need for a violent reaction to it to subside again. She smiled, quickly masking her violence as best she could. "There is only one place on this world where I tend to show my actual face. Or at least the one you remember." She said with a wink. "Meet me in three weeks, alone, at Annan Cemetery. I'll meet you there to talk." She said and tossed her money back into her purse, slipping the ring on her finger. "If that works for you?" She asked with a sly smile. Casimir Elias Karkaroff
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last online Oct 5, 2023 2:09:17 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Apr 1, 2020 10:56:22 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Apr 1, 2020 10:56:22 GMT -7
It was clear they were reaching the end of this exchange. Cas wasn’t interested in engaging in a drawn-out philosophical debate with Lúthien – that was incredibly dangerous and offered no returns. Whatever their shared history was, whatever potential there still was for continued communication, they had fundamentally different world views. And sharing his was liable to get him in trouble among the traditionally-oriented purebloods or the wizards who saw little value in a continued association with society and its norms.
Not that Cas was a conformative wizard, as he most certainly did not follow many traditional practices. But there was a value in appearing to do so, and he was particularly talented at appearing to place stock in the bottom line and tactically not-disagreeing at the right times. It served him well in his business, it served him well as the eyes and ears of an organization that did not lower itself to the standards of its enemies, and it had kept him alive thus far. Even if it rankled him not to have the ability to fully challenge the oftentimes backwards notions espoused by his associates.
“People do make things complicated,” Cas agreed, turning away slightly to reapply the protective enchantments to the display case now that the sale had been made. He was silent for a moment as he tapped his wand repeatedly on the glass in soft but decisive maneuvers. “But they do so by operating and evolving in a process, a natural process, that long predates civilization. The human condition, such as it is, no longer recognizes anachronistic concepts like entirely good or entirely evil. Neither do I.”
The fact that Lúthien was still attempting to make her case – that her side of the world offered profits and opportunities – was an interesting if not inscrutable bit of information. It was difficult for Cas to pinpoint whether she wanted to ultimately recruit him, perhaps the more surface-level interpretation, or if this was a twisted call for help. She was speaking far more transparently than she had before, although certainly Lúthien was talented at always bluntly describing the world as she saw it. It was an unusual level of honesty from someone like her, but Cas didn’t bite. Saying ‘yes’ was unthinkable at this moment in time, but saying ‘no’ seemed an unwise course of action.
It was unsurprising that she bit at his deal, but it wasn’t an end to the negotiation. She’d set the location, and of course he remembered the obscure location she had referenced, but Cas made an effort to keep his tone casual as he said, “Three weeks is an unsuitable timeframe. Six weeks sharp should do.” That would place their next interaction in May. Her earlier reaction to physical contact had caught Cas’s eye, the way it had thrown her off, how she’d shown more expression in her eyes then than any time before. Perhaps it would have been better to leave it alone, but Cas enjoyed tip-toeing the line and he wanted to push it a little further.
So, as she slipped on the ring, Cas caught her hand before she could slip away and turned it over so the engagement ring caught the light. There were many unspoken elements to their conversation, but the item itself (as mundane as it was) contained the most. There had been no mention of a fiancé, nevertheless the fact that Cas did not typically conduct such a sale, or how the idea of a marriage seemed rather incompatible with much of what Lúthien had told him earlier. An echo of a smirk appeared on his face as he mocked, “Best wishes. Maybe this one will go better.”
He let go of her hand but didn’t step away. “Goodbye, Lúthien.” It was a dismissal, recognition that this transaction was over and the next one was still weeks away. Cas knew he should be very cautious, and perhaps even afraid, of what a continued association with Lúth would do to him. In this moment, however, he met her gaze unflinchingly.
@luthien [End post Cas!]
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:01:10 GMT -7
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Apr 1, 2020 12:25:59 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2020 12:25:59 GMT -7
She understood perfectly what he was saying, at least in terms of fully good or evil. The gray zones were everywhere and he loved seeking out the middle ground in that. She didn't need a gray area personally. She didn't seek out her actions by holding them against a moral compass so it hardly mattered to her if the overall balance was good or bad. If hell existed she'd been doomed to go there long ago. She fully agreed life was barely black and white but to give Cas the satisfaction of agreement was simply too boring. Many things could be black and white through the proper lenses, even if she didn't use them herself. Plenty of others did and he probably was more than aware of that. It made the game more fun. He knew that her business was conducted a certain way and in order to gain from her what he desired he had to work with her to a certain point. It made a very nice push and pull that kept Lúthien on her toes, which in turn made her happy and satisfied. Lúthien was best kept entertained. Cas just loved to push though, perhaps on a few too many things. Not that Lúthien minded, per se. She loved the game, even if she got angry at the other players from time to time. So while not fully unexpected, the fury that washed over her was not something Cas could not have foreseen. She felt the white hot rage settle an icy calm in her body even though her mind was consumed for a moment with the idea to stick her hand down his throat and rip his heart out. It showed she was still very much in control, as loss of control would have meant she would have followed that desire, even in bright daylight in the middle of a shop. She had plenty of control for now, but that didn't mean that she wasn't angry at him. It was the touch, more than anything else, that set her rage on fire. His words were a mild annoyance she normally would have neglected completely but now they helped bring back her center. It was fine, since her investment in this particular man had long since waned. She let out a smile so cold she was almost surprised nothing showed signs of frostbite yet. "Perhaps." She said in a soft voice, barely more than a whisper. She had reverted back to the girl she'd been when she'd first come to school all those years ago. Furious and speaking in single words, if at all. Back then it had been her flute that was her main source of communication, but that wasn't at hand and she didn't like expressing her anger in that particular manner of communication. She didn't even play these days, except perhaps on the rare occasion nostalgia hit her. Her first husband, the one that Cas so casually referred to, he'd understood every word she spoke to him in the language of music from their first meeting. That alone was enough to feel herself tearing into pieces while the hatred and anger and resentment worked fast in glueing everything right back together. He released her and she felt the storm settle down as the calm took over. Every emotion completely gone from her body. Even the dead held more emotion on average than she did in that moment, but that was also a state of being far too familiar to the woman. All or nothing at all. He stared into her eyes unflinching and her expression pierced through bone as she looked back with a face colder than a gravestone, unblinking. Then after a moment, a dead little smile played on her lips, barely perceptable and terrifying to most that knew her. It promised chaos and an unforgiving future. She inclined her head ever so slightly, barely perceptable, as most of her movements became when she was in that state. Those that didn't pay attention easily missed out on the subtleties that spoke volumes about everything the future had in store at her hands. Then she abruptly broke eye contact, turning around and walking to the door of the shop. As she stood in the doorway a last lethal smile was shot his way. Her eyes turned a deep crimson for so short of an instance before she disappeared that it probably seemed more like a trick of the light than anything else. It was a simple warning. Fun was on the horizon. Deep deadly and dangerous fun, but fun nonetheless and she loved it with a passion intense enough to destroy the world. The demon had returned and it was ready to play. Then she disappeared, vanishing as she disapparated back to where she hid when she felt like plotting. Back to her home, where darkness and fear were hers to toy with mentally, even as they played with her in return. Balance, at a dangerous price to pay. Casimir Elias Karkaroff[end post Lúthy. I missed her evil side, thanks for bringing it back <3]
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