D'Lux Gold, NPC Owned, Available

[Essy ze Ninja]

𝕳enry 𝕲raham 𝕭urke
Owner of
𝕯'𝕷𝖚𝖝 𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝕮𝖑𝖚𝖇 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕭𝖆𝖗

It was only yesterday that that nefarious young man had swept in and dragged in the darkness with him, an entire day and night, and that darkness still permeated his club. He could almost taste the bitterness in the air. He tried to ignore it all night, as he shuffled behind the bar concocting drinks and sliding them across the counter with ease, always sliding the coins inside the enchanted cash register under the bar.

It wasn’t long before his attention became distraught, or rather, entirely distracted. Well, who’s this pretty little thing? He wondered coyly as his sights set upon the woman gracefully sweeping up to his bar. Now’s not the time, Henry, he chastised himself, shaking his head as another man approached, and now the two conversed. He meandered over at the notion of drinking, sliding a white towel across the bar top to smear away the drips of water, alcohol, sweat, and, was that blood? He tried not to think about it. ”Vodka?” He eyed each with a bemused smile, lights dancing and twinkling in his dark eyes. "Would you like that straight dear?" He wondered with the tilt of his head.

"And what about you sir?"

☽Single
---★Pureblood
------ ☾ D'Lux
----------☆ Behind the bar
--------------☽★☆★

 

[pluit coronam]

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." -- Niccolo Machiavelli

A muted weariness clung to the air around the man as Mihael stepped inside the bar and briefly swept his gaze across it. It wasn't anything he hadn't seen before, but he was grateful to it for being able to provide him with a short time away from work and family — it was his momentary abode, so he didn't care about appearances. After all, he was fortunate enough to find this free time in his hectic schedule to settle down and simply relax. As he moved, the chandeliers above him cast a dim glow over the atmosphere and caused the shadows to darken in contrast, his features becoming sharper — as was usual in the lighting of such a place. On one side was the bar and in the middle was the dance floor, which he stepped around until he sat on the far end of the bar — he was too tired to be in the mood for conversing with fellow drinkers — and rested his arms on the cold surface of the table.

The bartender and other occupants passed through his peripheral vision as his icy blue eyes slowly blinked and looked over his surroundings and the assortment of drinks lining the walls. Mihael absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair once before lowering it and crossing his arms on the table, waiting for a bartender. As a sigh was released, he relaxed his shoulders and thought over his preference of drink.

Head Unspeakable of the Death Chamber || Manor || Location: D'Lux Gold

 

[Kai Sparrowheart]

Kalina Aleksandra Dimitrova
"Lena Demetrio"
Twenty, Halfblood
Durmstrang Graduate
_______________________________

Kalina, or Lena as she figured she would be while in London, watched with interest as a man came up to them from behind the bar. Asking if she wanted it straight, Lena turned to look him in the eyes. Of course I do, she thought. She was one of those people who won in every drinking game, and a little straight vodka was like tipping back a coke.
"Yes please," she said, looking at the other handsome man through her eyelashes. She crossed her legs and returned her gaze to Pete.
"You mean am I a raging feminist? I'm not exactly, and I'll admit, I would appreciate it very much," she said in her velvety voice. She considered his next questions.
"Well I suppose you could say that. I got back to England just yesterday, and I felt like ending up in the bad side of the city," she said with an air.
"And yourself? You don't look like much of a dancer."


_______________________________

Out of Character~ ...

 

[Essy ze Ninja]

𝕳enry 𝕲raham 𝕭urke
Owner of
𝕯'𝕷𝖚𝖝 𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝕮𝖑𝖚𝖇 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕭𝖆𝖗

Fire whiskey, Henry nodded absentmindedly, his thoughts, priorities, worries, had lay elsewhere, trenched through muck, through the grit and grime of the world as the struggle for power remained highly unbalanced at every turn. His fingers wove through the liquor rack admonishing a bottle of vodka and firewhiskey, uncorking both with ease as he slid two small crystal glass on to the table top, suspended both bottle over each crystal glass and then slid them across the table towards their respective owner. He spared a moment from his thoughts to mention the price before he shuffled the coins away and glanced about the room.

His dark fiery mane tousled over his shoulders gently, much longer than he’d ever had it in his youth, where it had always been so closely shaved. His eyes of bitter discord swam over the sea of swimming bodies, before anchoring onto a lingering shadow at the corner of the bar. He meandered along within the confines behind the bar, sliding like a snake in water to the man. ”How can—

“Mihael?” Henry spat out far more abrasively than he would have liked, immediately, he regretted sharing a round of shots with those beautiful woman half an hour ago, leaving his mind hazy. He studied the callous man, always aloof, always a shrouding mist in the shadows, even from their youth. The man across the bar from him had always been a ghost in school but it hadn’t stopped Henry from stalking in and stealing any and every amount of spotlight he could—even attempting to play and tease beneath the skirts of Alexandra (Mihael's first wife,) even if she was a half-blood . ”Mihael,” the arrogance dripped from his words, though playful enough, was laced only with poison as he sauntered close and then leaned each forearm forward to rest against the redwood countertop. ”You b*****d.” His eyes narrowed, but it wasn’t long until he broke into a mirthful, vengeful grin.

”Come to try and steal my establishment like you’ve tried to steal my wife?” Wife, he tried not to cringe. It was common knowledge that his wife, Diane Burke, though more famously known as Athena Fae, the world renowned veela singer and songwriter, had been divorced—and for years now, too. He’d gotten one letter within the past three years from Diane, and all it concerned, was her hatred for him, for his blood, because their daughter was a parselmouth. No one in his family had ever even heard of that trait falling in their blood. He’d stowed over it, simmered, and then boiled over when his irrationality had stirred only one conclusion. Mihael Gravemoore; that b*****d.

☽Single
---★Pureblood
------ ☾ D'Lux
----------☆ Behind the bar
--------------☽★☆★

 

[pluit coronam]

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." -- Niccolo Machiavelli

It took a moment for Mihael to rush through his thoughts and memories, trying to work out why this man — a stranger — had spoken his name with such venom. Familiarity clung to him, although not in a positive way. He kept his eyes on him as he wearily grasped at memories until the realization broke through. "Well, this was entirely unexpected. So all this is yours?" His voice was kept low and lacking in much intonation out of habit, yet loud enough to be distinguished over the clamor of their surroundings. He ignored the jab, but his lips twitched up in amusement towards Henry's suspicions. He kept his features schooled into neutrality as he observed the man across from him. Honestly, he probably would never have noticed it was him; too many years had passed and both had changed in appearances — but not in their mutual hatred. After a regretful moment, Mihael acknowledged the fact that relaxation was now out of the equation. A pity, really.

He frowned and mulled over Henry's words, wondering if he should use his own words to see how far his anger would take him, or to instead remain as he was. He was tired though; his job had taken away the youthful vigor he used to have and used in full towards Henry, the one person who couldn't just leave him alone. Even in their younger years it had annoyed and angered him to no end that while everyone would leave him alone — just as he wanted it — Henry, the meddling annoyance in his life, wouldn't. "Her name is Naphtali. My wife," the statement was given with a slow nod and minuscule change in pitch, with the shadows on his complexion briefly changing as he spoke her name. However as soon as it had come, it was gone and he was back as he was a moment or two ago, a closed off and weary man with a tense disposition.

"So you see, I have absolutely no desire for your wife, nor for your establishment, despite whatever might be going through your head," he narrowed his eyes as he spoke, disappointed and peeved because right when he had finally found some free time in his schedule, it had resulted to this instead of the relaxing time to himself he had imagined and looked forward to. A bitter grin made its way to his face at the irony of it and at Henry's anger, which he was used to and would have found strange if it wasn't there when they were in the same vicinity.

Head Unspeakable of the Death Chamber || Manor || Location: D'Lux Gold

 

[Essy ze Ninja]

𝕳enry 𝕲raham 𝕭urke
Owner of
𝕯'𝕷𝖚𝖝 𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝕮𝖑𝖚𝖇 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕭𝖆𝖗

Fury spiraled in his core, drilling deep inside, until it festered. It rotted away at his insides as he lounged across the man, tense, hard as iron and just as sleek. The silence thickened, those dark ferocity of his eyes had burnt its way into trying to drown himself within Mihael’s thought, as if, at any moment, he might be able to predict what his silence held under lock and key. Years had gone by, so many years, he recounted, with every crease and line of darkness that paralleled the features of each man, though, Henry still harbored most, if not all, of his youthful vigor. A life free from stress had done miraculous wonders for this dastardly, arrogant man.

Your wife, those brusque words of his clattered in his eyes, ringing hollow and deafening, berating his sanity at every turn. So, even after Hogwarts, this man still kept himself in seclusion, oblivious from the world that mattered not to him, nor his children. ”You’ve always kept your secrets well-guarded,” Henry’s abrupt spiral of subjects had always been akin to him, that, and his notorious lies. ”Haven’t you?” Cryptic, Henry had to try and hide the snide that ghosted on his features, darkening his lips black with the shadows until the lights flashed in their direction from their dance up above.

To this day, he had no idea if Mihael had ever known that Henry had been a ghoul in the shadows of the Hogwarts castle dungeons, stumbling in silence, upon the man, a snake, and the hiss of the language of snakes. ”My family has never had the trait; it’s never been in my blood. Never.

“My daughter….” He paused, inclining forward, a growl on his lips as the music deafened the ears of everyone around, speaking so low, only his acquaintance from school would hear him. ”She’s a parslemouth.” Suddenly, as the lights flashed, a wand was produced and stared Mihael in the eyes. ”I want the truth Gravemoore.

“I want it now.”

☽Single
---★Pureblood
------ ☾ D'Lux
----------☆ Behind the bar
--------------☽★☆★

 

[pluit coronam]

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." -- Niccolo Machiavelli

His grin morphed until his expression was one of muted anger when Henry brought up his tendency towards secrecy. His tension grew sharper until its shards cut through his muted disposition and he clenched his hands as his arms were crossed on the countertop. He should've realized that time wouldn't dull Henry's edge with words, brazen speech, and thoughts. And when the man began speaking his next words, mentioned a trait his family'd never had, he could feel the shards of tension burying deeper in his blood until his eyes held no more warmth towards him than they would for an enemy.

And when he spoke that accursed word? Mihael gave up all pretenses of calmness and his eyes became like shards of ice. He refused to believe what Henry was saying, his desperation was like a shock of cold water drenched upon him, waking him up from the sleep of weariness and bringing him to full alertness and panic and hatre-- no. He had to remain rational and calculating. It was beneath him not to.

That is, until Henry had the gall and arrogance to point his wand to him. Mihael was very aware he couldn't, wouldn't, defend himself. His position wouldn't allow it and the Ministry would certainly not be pleased to find out if he had carelessly flung spells out of anger towards a bartender. He took brief amusement from that image, but his eyes remained cold chips of ice and his composure was tense and wary, ready for whatever Henry might've been planning. He decided that at the first sign of a spell being made, Mihael would then have his excuse for self-defense and raise his wand in retaliation.

He steadily brought his hands up, already missing the feel of smooth ebony wood in his hand. He remain seated and with his arms raised, his ice blue eyes never leaving Henry's. "The truth? What is truth, I wonder. I'm not fond of that word." He played with his words, pretending to muse on his situation to hide his coldly burning temper. "The... trait, has never been in your family? If you're so sure, then what else is there for me to say other than what you're surely thinking about?" He was not fond of the word 'trait' either, but he kept his tone light and amiable, a facade fixed firmly in place to hide the inferno of frantic anger at the unpleasant revelation he had been given. "And with your previous fancy in my late wife, I think we've reached an impasse." There it was, laid out in the open. They were even, whether Henry was alright with it or not. The back and forth quarreling of their youth had reached a stalemate with Mihael's involvement with Athena, but never did he expect that this would come of it.

Another parselmouth? It was preposterous, insane, yet it was his fault because he couldn't swallow his pride just once and forget about Henry's involvement with Alexandra. 'So pride really is a downfall...' His lips remained quirked up in the mock of a smile, yet it was more bitter than amiable now. He kept his attention intently on Henry and his wand, his arms still raised and eyes dancing with amusement and cold anger.

Head Unspeakable of the Death Chamber || Manor || Location: D'Lux Gold

 

[Essy ze Ninja]

𝕳enry 𝕲raham 𝕭urke
Owner of
𝕯'𝕷𝖚𝖝 𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝕮𝖑𝖚𝖇 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕭𝖆𝖗

Not another crease embraced his features, not a single daring swallow, muscles hadn’t tightened, and not a wavering glimpse could be penetrated from this ice of tempered steel. He didn’t move, didn’t even flinch; and with fiery hazel eyes transfixed on the slow, cautious moving hands of the man opposite him his vision narrowed. Henry, headstrong, brash, and ornery as he was, knew better than to strike down an official—after all, who would believe him, the black sheep of the Burke family and the degenerate owning a nightclub, or a tedious, silent, nose in the book ministry official?

Obviously, the choice was clear. As lucky as his chances were of the drunkards twirling in his establishment, no one would testify for him, lie for him. He grated his teeth, daring the man to speak, his rippling muscles hadn’t strayed an inch with his wand upright, glaring down the man threateningly, almost provocatively, as if hoping the man would strike first, almost hoping to besmirch the man’s name, his honor.

The cool, callous complacency of Mihael had only fueled the fire, a wicked catalyst to the burning wild fire that raged a storm behind his eyes. The man across the bars’ voice crept towards him, as tantalizing as a wave washing on shore, never lingering for too long. Suddenly, he grit his teeth harder, the tension flickered in his temples as the vein throbbed visibly, and, as if his body was betraying him, he dropped his wand and held it loose at his side, wallowing in the depths of his silence. Could it be true then? His daughter, his one and only child….

Chaos swirled behind the vigor of youth in his features, hardening him with age as the truth settled in, but denial still swept the surface of his mind. No, he declared, over and over until his mind bled from the insistence, it couldn’t be. All defenses fell, and damn the seven hells! Why had he drunken so much, his mind, even this very room was spinning and he almost lost himself.

What was worse? That meeting… The young William Nott had sought him only the night prior, furthering the advancement of plans long since debated. That nefarious youth had sauntered into his shop and threatened the very life of his daughter—their daughter—no, Elizabeth would always be his child, no matter what. That small matter wasn’t what suddenly pierced his heart and twisted it; it was what he was asked to do. ”Mihael,” Henry’s forlorn voice softened. ”I…”

He felt ridiculous; he turned his head away, leaving him defenseless for the moment he was blinded as his fingers tore through his wild mane. How was he to ask this man of a favor now, after pulling a wand on him? ”With the Death Eaters gone…. With Voldemort gone…. Power has been free... and chaotic for dark wizards…

“Have you heard of the name Xilan?” Henry; he had always been well steering conversations.

☽ Single
---★Pureblood
------ ☾ D'Lux
----------☆ Behind the bar
--------------☽★☆★

 

[pluit coronam]

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." -- Niccolo Machiavelli

Mihael met Henry's unflinching glare with his own and remained tensed as he caught movement from Henry. Surprise shot through him when Henry lowered his wand, since he was fully expecting a fight. But then again, if Henry hadn't changed much, he knew that he was able to control the storm of his emotions, he knew how to read a situation, and that was one reason why Mihael was able to respect him in that regard.

However, as his gaze refused to leave the man across from him, he was able to pick up faint traces of his turmoil from brief changes of expressions. And he knew, were he a different man, that he would care and feel at least a bit apologetic. But he wasn't, and his selfishness kept him from any of those emotions. Something shifted, he knew, and he watched Henry's change in tone and demeanor with unsettlement. Oh, he was indeed familiar with his ever shifting subjects when speaking, but it never brought much unsettlement like this did.

Unfortunately for him, this didn't mean the change would allow him to lower his guard. Quite the contrary, actually. As Mihael listened to Henry, the familiar jagged shards of tension came back, this time accompanied by muted fear and mild claustrophobia. He felt as if the bar was growing smaller in size and the noise of the music became a cacophony of buzzing sounds, unable to be made out through his storming thoughts and old fears rushing up to the surface of his consciousness. 'Honestly,' he thought through gritted teeth, 'I had hoped those words stayed buried along with these petty fears.'

And yet his bitter smile came back. "It would be expected of me to say yes, wouldn't it? Because of what I have?" His eyes narrowed and he despised what his paranoia was making him say; he couldn't stop though. He had been flung out of his comfort zone and dragged across mental glass shards -- it would be only logical for him to be on guard as if he was expecting an attack or something equally uninviting. And now, how many knew of the girl? Of Henry's daughter? This would cause even more trouble for him!

The weary man heaved a sigh and turned away, choosing a random spot on the countertop to fix his eyes upon instead of holding eye contact. "I have. I believe other officials have had as well. Especially with what the Daily Prophet has been publishing, Dark Marks being sighted, and other happenings. But I don't see what that has to do with anything, Henry." His voice held warning and wariness as he looked away from the redwood countertop and back towards the man in tense anticipation, not sure if he even wanted an answer.

But he did, because he was a selfish man, and desire to satisfy curiosity was just another form of selfishness.

Head Unspeakable of the Death Chamber || Manor || Location: D'Lux Gold
Power is power, the law of the land,
Those living for Death will die by their own hand.

 

[Essy ze Ninja]

𝕳enry 𝕲raham 𝕭urke
Owner of
𝕯'𝕷𝖚𝖝 𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝕮𝖑𝖚𝖇 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕭𝖆𝖗

Time dripped all around; sand rained through the crevice of the hour glass where each and every pitter patter sent another shocking wave of panic within him. Secrets swam in his blood, tainted with the lies and deceit of aging purity, but not that one, not that one. That arrogance so akin to him, so deeply riddled in the speckled hues of the amber iris, now, bore no trace. A crippling ghost of a man was what was left of him; gambling away everything honorable, for what, this? His gaze traveled the length of the establishment, embellished with only the finest, and still it was not enough.

In his eyes, the man across from him had always had it easy, had always excelled when he struggled, and had triumphed when he failed. Once upon a time ago, Alexandra had almost been his, and that insidious jealousy tarnished his core until it festered into something bleak and black. Years had gone by, but nothing had changed. He was still the same, headstrong, instigative, alpha male that he’d always been, quick to judge, quick to jump, and quick to delude. He shook his head and focused his eyes upon Mihael; always so well guarded, so poised.

He hated it.

Henry sneered; the clear composition of complacency hadn’t bided well for him, it only left a stubborn stench. Tensions grew thick, he could taste it on his tongue so bittersweet, or, maybe that was still the alcohol swirling within him? Through slit eyes, he made no haste to confirm the man’s suspicions. Idly, he pondered the curiosities that delved in the Department of Mysteries; its oddities and its research. Were he a different man, were he any other man, there may have been a time when the two could have been acquaintances, nothing more, nothing less.

But now, fate sought to be cruel to him; to devise this scheme and this world… To have him succumb to this! ”I could only have assumed as much,” he paused, his fingers idly coiling around the neck of an unlabeled bottle hidden below the counter and in silence he filled it. He would need to drink, to do this. ”Purity, I’m sure you know, has always been a top priority….

“Our children……” Need he say anymore? ”A man sought me yesterday, demanding my assistance, the details were vague, but…

“One thing’s clear.” He swirled the dark amber contents of his drink, staring down at it, refusing to show the fear burned into his retinas. ”Their numbers grow, as do their power…

“Mihael, you understand as well as I the importance of such discrepancy when family honor is at stake, but, you also know the tribulation of life and freedom.

“If there was ever one redeemable quality of you Mihael, it was your love for your children.”

☽ Single
---★Pureblood
------ ☾ D'Lux
----------☆ Behind the bar
--------------☽★☆★

 

[pluit coronam]

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." -- Niccolo Machiavelli

He felt it creeping, as cool as cold water and as sharp as a blade -- the dread and disgust. To know that someone could be responsible for potentially holding his children hostage, of his actions being controlled by fear for their safety? It disgusted him and it was an unexpected blow to his pride. His intense gaze fixed on Henry as he thought about the mechanisms of the fear that permeated the air and poured into the people when Dark Lords were mentioned, especially ones on the rise. It controlled -- Henry was an example he couldn't deny. Mihael knew him to be one who was on top, never bowing his head, and entirely incompatible with inferiority.

To see him resigned ripped apart any doubt he had upon the seriousness of the situation. And yet despite this, annoyance was able to worm its way into him as his thoughts connected and melded together, trailing with them unwanted emotions which he tried to mute out. "You know, in several instances, I've found logic lacking." He rested his hand on the side of his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "I will agree with purity of blood. It's been taught to us that the purer the blood, the more powerful the wizard, after all. And yet it confounds me, Henry, how there are exceptions to this. The famed Harry Potter, for example. I'm sure there are others as well." He paused for a moment, his thoughts and questions raging within. "And many conveniently ignore it. Is it hypocrisy? Should I look down at they who share the ideals of the Dark Lord?"

He kept his calculating gaze on the man across from him who now held a drink. For now, he had pushed aside his burning emotions towards him, and they were replaced by the clamor of questions, most of which were only half-directed towards him. It was now clear that Mihael was someone who thought deeply about things, and that the time he spent over books of wizarding history wasn't simply for gaining knowledge. "What are your thoughts?" His eyes bore into his hazel ones as he lowered his arm back on the countertop. He knew he had no right to be speaking derogatorily about them. He was, for all intents and purposes, a murderer, even if no one knew. It would be hypocritical to condemn them when he was no better.

He even couldn't picture himself being subjugated, much less Henry. But they weren't the ones who were in the most danger. Henry was aware of the fact that Mihael would, indeed, go to great lengths for the safety of his children. And he had no doubt that Henry was the same. And yet to him, it didn't make sense to target half-bloods who share a trait with the previous Dark Lord. Mihael shifted his eyes to the countertop once more, using his peripheral to check his surroundings. The number of people and type of crowded setting set him on edge when such a topic was discussed, especially when there were two others seated some distance away. Regaining eye contact, he lowered his voice and narrowed his eyes.

"Does this Dark Lord even have a powerful drive towards his purpose, other than the standard beliefs?" he paused before shaking his head and continuing, "You wouldn't know. Excuse my question. However, one other of my inquiries still stands."

"What do you think is the pretense of 'right', Henry, in this situation?"

Tinted feelings and veils of mystery shrouded an intense but somehow diffused light in his eyes, which he revealed in his storming thoughts and frantic mental attempts at quickly setting them in order.

Head Unspeakable of the Death Chamber || Manor || Location: D'Lux Gold
Power is power, the law of the land,
Those living for Death will die by their own hand.

 

[Essy ze Ninja]

𝕳enry 𝕲raham 𝕭urke
Owner of
𝕯'𝕷𝖚𝖝 𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝕮𝖑𝖚𝖇 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕭𝖆𝖗

Dancing lights shrouded his vision, subconsciously shocking each synapse in his brain with an electrifying sense of dread, the colours of red like blood and green like greed mocked him; he knew it. Even as his wrist rolled and his liquor swirled, he couldn’t tame his mind to focus like the whirlpool riddled in deep amber waves within crystal. The thick tension in the air crawled over his flesh. It was cold, even in the midst of the burning bodies and the fire ignited with it. His own questions mirrored that of Mihaels, it was only natural to every man, but his curiosities had always lied much deeper than it should have.

Knitted brows harbored darkly veiled irises shadowed underneath, and they glowed with every heartbeat of darkness that had stolen over the club with every change in color. Eyes locked, and he held his head higher, squared his chest deftly. ”Mihael it has never been in my interest to share the views thrust unto me,” he rolled his shoulders, his free hand weaving into the knot he felt clamoring to his shoulder blade. ”It’s why I stayed in the shadows of the last wizarding war,” he divulged, though it wasn’t an uncommon secret. In fact, it was an act of selfishness he’d stolen from Mihael over all the years, never submersing himself into the politics of wizardry, and the circles of pureblood elitists. Henry had had a taste for it all in his younger years, and at the chance to finally break away, he did. For that, he was always grateful. But now he had an ex-wife who showed him no love, and a daughter who was, unfortunately, very much like her mother. Too much, Henry had always drunkenly told anyone who’d ask.

But now he felt as though he’d said too much, and about nothing in particular all at once. He groaned, though he doubted it could have been heard over the bass of the music that pounded in his chest and reverberated in his heart. He couldn’t understand why this had all worried him so, more than the last supposed Dark Lord had. But even that monstrosity of a man had had a weakness, had had his bane, and this one would too, he was sure of it. All the same, he turned away from his old friend to dart his gaze about. The establishment roared and burst. Licking his lips and tossing back his drink to the depths of his throat, he hissed out a sharp breath and shook his head. ”I’ve found one truth in all my years, there can be no right or wrong, only hate, and only love.” He explained as he dropped his empty glass against the counter with a clink. ”And I love my child.” But there was too much to discuss, and more than enough had already been divulged too carelessly out into the open.

”Mihael…. Perhaps this is not the time or place?”

[[O.O I thought I replied to this days’ ago.]]

☽Single
---★Pureblood
------ ☾ D'Lux
----------☆ Behind the bar
--------------☽★☆★

show spoilerhide spoiler

”Voile Blanc”

 

[pluit coronam]

"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." -- Niccolo Machiavelli

Mihael mulled over Henry's words and thought about the difference of the manner in which they perceived things. Even at that very moment he could sense the tension caused by these differences. Just as Henry had stayed hid in the shadows during the previous war, Mihael had done the same; yet he had taken advantage of the chaos that ensued and risen in rank, while Henry chose to remain a shadow, away from crowding eyes. And then he thought about the man's previous words and found that he couldn't get the bloody name out of his mind. It was like a poisonous mist -- always present yet barely tangible. It was angering him that something so out of his control was happening and he was dreadfully tempted to follow his reclusive nature and draw out of the entire ordeal, pretend the day had never happened, and hide his family away until the entire thing resolved itself or died down.

He knew very well, however, that those thoughts were a waste of his time. Even if they weren't impossible, he knew that if this opportunity had come once again, this chance for change...

Neutrality had always suited him best, so now it was simply a matter of deciding what direction would benefit him the most. And it wasn't too difficult to see -- his children's safety was one of his top priorities and if they were at risk, then the path was fairly clear to him even if he might or might not agree with everything. After all, why should the views of one man matter when faced with a wave of differing views? In the end, he couldn't help but agree with Henry, however rare the case might be. 'He's right. There's no black and white in this. Only gray. Experience teaches people this.'

His eyes regained focus as he drew away from his introspective thoughts after Henry spoke. "You're right," he nodded once, "You have customers to attend to. I can wait until your break and move upstairs, or we can schedule an appointment for another day. I can check to see the next bit of free time I have." He sighed, rubbing his temples in an effort to fend off the tension. "While quite unsettling is the information you've given me, believe me when I say no harm will befall our children before our own bodies turn cold," he managed a smirk as he was able to wheedle out a sliver of his burning intensity in the midst of all the weariness and creeping apathy. He couldn't deny that the news had brought back some his old self, from before he had found Naphtali and before he had stopped fighting against the dullness of routine.

Head Unspeakable of the Death Chamber || Manor || Location: D'Lux Gold
Power is power, the law of the land,
Those living for Death will die by their own hand.

OOC: It's alright ^^